Joined by blood or trust
by Taateli
Summary: Set after the finale episode of season 3. Jude tries to find a way to make things right again, but with what prize?
1. Hit of realization

**So this story just expanded to extreme measures. I have 85 pages on my computer waiting for to be posted while we wait for the summer special. Enjoy!**

* * *

Jude stared after Zero, still not quite understanding what had just happened. Zero was traded, Oscar and he got kicked out, and Jelena Howards was in charge. Now their whole future was uncertain, even when only a few hours ago it was so definite.

As Zero disappeared behind a corner, Jude took a deep, shaking breath. He put his hands to his hips and looked at the glass shards on the floor. There was only one thing he could do to try and fix this.

Jude strode towards Oscar's… no, Jelena's office. He went through in his minds all the possible ways he could confront her. Jude had never really met with her. The only opinion he had on her was based on everyone else's stories about the woman. Sure, he had seen her many times, but never truly talked with her. Maybe that's why Jude was so nervous when he walked towards the office, or maybe he knew it was his only change to save his and Zero's future. But one thing Jude did know and it was Jelena's weakness: Terrance.

It was already over ten p.m. when Jude arrived to the office. The door, which still said Mr. Kinkaid, was ajar. Jude knocked on it but there was no answer. The lights which shone out still indicated that someone was in. Carefully he pushed the door open and his face fell when he saw Jelena lying on the floor. Blood was forming a pond underneath her.

"Jesus!" Jude breathed and quickly crouched beside her. "Jelena? Can you hear me?" He shook her shoulder but the only response he got was her opening her eyes slightly before quickly closing them. "Shit." Jude muttered underneath his breath and dig out his phone from his suit's pocket. He dialed the emergency number. Just when he heard a voice from the other end of the line, he saw movement in the corner of his eye. He had just enough time to move his head to the direction when someone hit him to his head and everything went black.

* * *

Zero had driven home by detour. He had expected Jude to be there already but when he opened the front door, the apartment was dark. Zero put the lights on and checked the bedroom, just to be sure Jude wasn't there. He sat down to Jude's side of the bed and sighed. He had been preparing for the talk which was inevitable. He had thought through every word he was going to use to describe his feelings of the current situation with every detail, but now that Jude wasn't there, he found himself forgetting all of it. It didn't matter, since in the end Zero lost all his self-control and plans around Jude.

Zero waited for Jude to come home for a half an hour before deciding to get a shower. It didn't have the wanted effect this time, since the same thoughts of him leaving and Jude staying still whirled around his head. He changed to fresh clothing before putting the TV on. He was just about to walk towards the kitchen when the news caught his attention:

 _"_ _We're in front of the Devil's arena where polices are still gathered around, examining the scene of the crime. Just an hour ago the victim, which we haven't got any information of, was taken away in an ambulance. The chief investigator has said that the victim was still alive, but didn't want to comment about the case any further…"_

Zero gaped at the news. He felt his stomach drop, when he heard the word victim. All he could think about was where was Jude? Zero looked for his phone. He needed to call Jude, to make sure he was alright, but his hunch told him Jude had been taken to the hospital. He fumbled with his phone as he pressed the number he had last called to.

The sound of keys turning in the lock made Zero drop his phone. Jude walked in with a dim expression. He dropped his suitcase to the floor before even noticing Zero was standing there.

"Thank god, you're okay." Zero exhaled and walked towards Jude, wanting nothing more than to wrap his arm around the man and never let go, but he stopped just a few inches away from him. "I saw the news." He gestured towards the television before a folding on Jude's forehead caught his attention. "What's that?"

Jude sighed and rubbed his neck with a pained expression. "I was knocked out." Zero looked at him with utter confusion. "After our… talk I went to see Jelena…" Zero's expression changed from disbelief to hatred in a second and he opened his mouth to say something but Jude quickly continued: "…to talk some sense into her but she…" Jude swallowed. "… she had been shot."

"What?" Zero couldn't believe his ears.

"I found her just lying there and called an ambulance when someone hit me to head." Jude shrugged his shoulders and wished he could just crawl underneath the duvets and fall asleep and not listen to Zero's endless questions of what Jelena had done and who had shot her.

Zero, however, surprised Jude by only asking: "Are you okay?"

Jude looked at his boyfriend and smiled. "Yeah, I will be… I just have **the most** horrible headache of all time. I had to go to the hospital for checkup. They put three stitches to the wound and they said I have a minor concussion."

The genuine smile Gideon gave him made Jude's heart melt. "I'm just glad you're okay." He cupped Jude's face and brought their lips together. It started with an innocent peck but Jude felt that Zero tried to deepen it and he delicately took his hands on his and pulled away.

"I really need to get some sleep right now." Jude almost regretted ending the kiss when he saw the hurt on Gideon's face. It soon turned to understanding and Gideon nodded at him.

In the following night Zero had to wake up in every three hours to check Jude was still conscious. He didn't mind though, since he couldn't sleep well anyway. After four a.m. he decided not to even try and settled for watching Jude sleeping.

* * *

Jude woke up to a smell of shower gel and familiar scent of Zero. He was too tired to open his eyes right away and soon he felt breath against the side of his face.

"What time is it?" Jude asked wearily and resisted the urge to just turn to his side and ignore Gideon, but he wanted the moment to last just a little bit longer. He knew once he got up, he couldn't avoid their conversation.

"Nine a.m., you sleepyhead." Zero murmured and was just about to kiss Jude's cheek when the other man jumped off the bed. Zero was about to ask what got into him when Jude almost lost his balance and took hold of the nightstand to keep himself from falling to the floor. Zero sat up with a frown on his face but didn't have time to ask what was wrong when Jude shook his head.

"I'm fine. Just a little dizzy." Jude lifted his arms up as if to show that he was able to stand on his own. "Why didn't you wake me up earlier? I'm late for work." Jude could still see black dots dancing in his field of view and his head was swaying a little but he decided to ignore it and went to search for his clothes.

"If you haven't forgotten, stupid, that you were kicked out last night AND you have a concussion. I'm pretty sure the paper I found in your suitcase was for sick leave for the next two days." Zero hated the way Jude looked at him then; his expression was full of disbelief and anger. Zero had seen the face many times before. The last time was at Jelena and Terrance's engagement party after their hook up in the closet.

"You went through my stuff?"

Zero just shrug his shoulder, clearly unaware how wrong his actions had been. "Yes, you just left your suitcase lying in the middle of the living room. I thought I could… you know, arrange the papers for you."

"There's confidential papers of the arena's finances, which certainly aren't meant for your eyes." Jude didn't shout but his voice was tense. He shook his head in disappointment as he put on his trousers.

"Okay, I'm sorry. Wont' happen again." Zero hated when he was wrong.

"Damn right, it won't." Jude said as he finally managed to buckle his belt and walked out of the bedroom.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Zero's voice followed him to the kitchen and soon the man himself followed him.

"Nothing." Jude said without even paying much attention to the conversation anymore and instead concentrated on finding something to eat.

"Nothing?" Zero leaned to the counter and tried to get an eye contact with Jude. "Cause to me it sounded like you don't even care."

"What?" Jude finally met his eyes. He was completely lost about what Zero was talking about. His head had started to throb again.

"Me… leaving! Like it's a good thing." Zero took a step back from Jude.

Jude could see the hurt in Gideon's eyes and he sighed. When Zero backed off, he was feeling truly unsecure. "Look… I only meant that I don't want you to go through my work stuff again, okay? If somebody finds out, I would be kicked to the gutter immediately."

"You were really hit hard last night." Zero seemed to gather his confidence again and took the step back again. "Jelena kicked you out last night."

"Gideon…" Jude said and leaned closer to Zero across the counter. "Jelena's in the hospital right now and I'm pretty sure that she didn't have the time to make the official paperwork to get me out of my post." Jude paused so he could see the realization sink into Zero. "Which means…"

"…you're on top." Zero interrupted him and Jude nodded with a smile. It made Zero smile too as he felt the weight being lifted from his shoulders, by Jude, again. "I love you." Gideon reached out and kissed Jude.

They both smiled into the kiss which didn't last long as Jude pulled away. "I really need to get to work. But I think you'll be late for practice if you don't get yourself ready right about now." Jude smiled whole heartedly when he saw Gideon's alarmed face as he looked at the time.

"Shit." Zero muttered and was about to run to the bedroom when Jude caught the front of his shirt.

"I love you too." Jude said and gave Zero a quick peck to the lips before leaving. For a moment Zero just stood there smiling, enjoying the feeling of his heart beating in his chest. It didn't take long for him to get back to reality and he quickly made his way to the shower.

* * *

The practice was over after two and Zero made his way towards Jude's office. It hadn't gone very well for him. His mind has been on Jude and how he was coping with his new job and most of all with his head injury. He had kept his phone on and nearby, just in case. It wasn't like anyone else were paying much attention to practicing either, they were thinking and talking about Jelena most of the time. It wasn't a real practice anyway since Pete was missing and no one were able to get in contact with him. Zero found himself being silent through the conversations but he had learned that Jelena had gone through surgery and was now in stable condition. He wasn't sure what to think of the news. He hated the bitch with everything he got, but to think her dead was a pretty extreme, even for him. He still loathed the idea that when Jelena recovered, Jude would be kicked out soon after.

Zero smiled when he saw the fancy nameplate 'Mr. Kinkade' on the office door. Oscar had really liked excessive style. But what had made Zero smile was the thought that the name really belonged there; Jude deserved the place.

Zero knocked on the door and soon Jude's voice came from the inside, asking him to come in. Jude was surprised to see him entering the room. He never knocked, which usually didn't bother him but when he was in a middle of a meeting, it was sometimes irritating.

"Hi." Jude finally said as Zero stood in the middle of the room, looking around as if he was seeing it for the first time. "I'm supposed to be in a meeting in half an hour."

"Then we have plenty of time." Zero looked straight at him and backed towards the door. He leaned against it and closed it properly. Jude could hear the lock klick. Before he could properly response, Zero sat to the mahogany table and slid himself to the other side, flipping his legs with him so he was sitting right in front of Jude, legs on both sides. "I've always imagined what it would be like to fuck you in this office." Zero said with a low voice, leaning closer to Jude at the same time.

Jude licked his lips unconsciously, trying hard to find a way out of the situation. "The image of you thinking about sex while talking with Oscar isn't really a turn on." Jude tried to sound confident, but failed miserably.

"Liar." Zero whispered and smiled. He leaned even closer so their noses were touching. They breathed in each other for a while and just when Jude was about to give in, Zero looked up and smiled even wider.

"What?" Jude asked and frowned. Zero was staring at his forehead.

"You've been wearing this all day?" Zero reached to Jude's head and Jude could feel him taking something off. He couldn't hide the blush when he saw what Zero was holding: the wound folding. He had thought the management group only wondered why he had showed up to work instead of Jelena, but now he knew they were wondering about his wound, probably not daring to ask where he had gotten it from.

"It's going to leave a scar." Jude was brought back from his thought by Zero's voice. He was still looking at his forehead. Zero brought his hand to the side of Jude's face and slowly caressed the skin below the wound with his thumb.

"As long as it doesn't need any more stitches…" Jude resisted the urge to close his eyes. Zero's touch felt good. Soon the hand moved through Jude's hair to the back of his neck and Jude met Zero half way to a kiss. It wasn't as frantic as Jude had expected. It was slow and full of feelings.

Zero soon crouched from side of the table into Jude's lap, deepening the kiss. Jude had to lean back in his chair and supported Zero by grasping his ass, which the man didn't mind much. The kiss lasted until they both needed some air. Zero pulled away first and lowered himself down so their groins were touching. Jude had to swallow and they kissed again. He had a gnawing feeling that he had forgotten something but Zero's lips on his and Zero's hips moving on his lap made it impossible to think straight. His mind melted completely when Zero slipped his other hand under Jude's trousers and shamelessly cupped him. Jude couldn't stop the gasp escaping from him but Zero's mouth muffled it.

They started to tear off their clothing. Zero naked faster since he was wearing only training clothing, but it didn't take him long to get Jude to the same state as well. Eventually Jude laid on his back against the table and Zero had climbed on top of him. Zero kissed his way down on Jude's chest and took him into his mouth without any teasing what so ever. Jude gasped with surprise and for a moment wondered what the rush was. Then his mind reminded him that he was supposed to be in a meeting in fifteen minutes. He sighed and looked down on Zero who was completely lost in his job. Jude reached down and took hold of Zero's arms nudging him gently to indicate for him to get back up. Zero did as he was told and kissed his way back up to Jude's lips.

"We… have to… hurry." Jude mumbled between the kissed and Zero just hummed against his lips. Then he moved to nibble Jude's ear.

"I guess I have to fuck you later." Zero smiled against his ear and Jude couldn't help but feel a little disappointed. His spirit was lifted soon however, when Zero pressed their groins together again and reached down to grab their dicks in his hand. Jude traveled his hand from Zero's neck to cup his ass and pressed them even tighter together. It didn't take long for them both to finish and for a moment they both forgot where they were, moaning without control. When the high started to wear off, they both listened for a moment, almost expecting to hear shocked conversation from behind a wall but there was nothing.

Zero was about to get up when Jude pulled him down to a slobby kiss.

"I thought you were busy." Zero said, pulling back slightly and smiled when he felt Jude's lips follow his.

"I am, but I thought I could be stylishly late." Jude answered but their kiss was interrupted by his phone ringing. Jude groaned and reached for his phone, not moving even by an inch under Zero's weight.

"Hello?" Jude answered casually when he saw that Lionel was calling. Zero proceeded to kiss his way down on Jude's throat, leaving a hickey there. "What?" The change on Jude's tone made Zero lift his head and look at his boyfriend's expression. "Are you okay? Aha…" Zero frowned when Jude looked at him face full of worry. "Okay, I'll be there as soon as I can. No… no, you didn't interrupt anything. I'll have something to tell you too. Yeah, bye." Jude hang up and gestured for Zero to move, who slid from above him to sit on the table.

"Has something happened?" Zero asked as he watched Jude cleaning himself up and putting on his suit.

"Lionel called. She's in hospital." Jude said with a little shaky voice.

"Is she there to see Jelena?" Jude could see how Zero's whole body tensed when he only thought of that woman.

"No, she doesn't even know about her. She and Pete are both there. They had carbon poisoning." Jude pushed his skirt into his trousers.

Zero just stared at him for a moment before jumping off the table and starting to get dressed as well.

* * *

"How did that even happen?" Zero didn't even know Pete and Lionel were talking to each other, let alone hang in Oscar's place.

"I have no idea." Jude answered as he parked in front of the hospital. "I guess we'll find out." He looked at Zero and unbuckled his seatbelt. He glanced himself in the rear-view window. "Shit. I look like we've had sex for the last three hours."

Zero grinned devilishly. "Oh, you look much better after that, trust me." Jude just rolled his eyes and tried to flatten his hair a little. "You look beautiful, let's go." Zero patted Jude's leg and got up.

"Easy for you to say." Jude mumbled under his breath. Zero always looked as fresh as if he had just gotten out of shower, if the hair gel wasn't included.

"What did you say?" Zero asked from the outside.

"Nothing!" Jude gave up on looking any more decent and followed Zero.

* * *

They were instructed to the right ward by the receptionist. Jude entered the room first and found Lionel laying in the bed with full make up on and looking as vibrant as ever. Jude found himself taking a first proper breath after her call.

"Jude! I'm so glad to see you. Pete's been annoying me with his presence all day." Lionel smiled widely when she saw her friend approaching. However when she saw Zero, her smile faded and she gave him only a tiny nod. Zero returned it reluctantly and hovered behind Jude, not wanting to go to her personal space.

Jude sat down to a chair next to the bed. Lionel eyed Jude up and down before smirking. "I did interrupt something, didn't I?" The way Jude blushed verified her conclusion. "You just had sex. I wish my day had started as well."

Zero couldn't help but laugh. He quickly gathered himself however, when Jude scowled at him with a look that clearly said: if I hear any more of that, we're not going to have sex on that table ever again.

"Moving on." Jude cleared his throat. "How did you end up here? And where's Pete?"

"Oh, he went to fetch me some coffee and the newspaper. He got on my nerves." Lionel paused and only continued when Jude looked at him with raised eyebrows. "We had a little conversation at Oscar's house. At the garage. My car was running and somehow the door got stuck so we ended up here."

Jude leaned back on the chair and crossed his arms. "And why didn't you just turn off the car?"

"The thing is…" Lionel looked at Zero, a little ashamed. "…the key got stuck. We couldn't do anything." She lifter her arms up as if it wasn't such a big of a deal.

"Why do I have the feeling you're not telling me everything?" Jude knew Lionel better than she thought and could read her like an open book sometimes.

"I'm not letting you out on purpose, but I can't tell you what I talked about with Pete. It's between us, I'm sorry." Lionel took hold of Jude's hand.

"Okay, but I wish you could trust me with that…" Jude said and squeezed her hand.

"I do trust you, but I promised Pete not to tell. You see, it's not in my hands." Lionel knew Jude wasn't buying it but she didn't want him to make any more questions about the incident. She had talked with Pete and he had promised to stay quiet about her trying to kill herself. She knew Jude would never understand and would worry about her way too much. Most of all she was ashamed about her behavior. At the time it had been the only possible thing to do but after she had talked with Pete, she had begun to see other options.

"Tell me just one thing." Jude caught Lionel's attention by taking her hand between his. "Did it have anything to do with Oscar?"

Lionel weighted the question for a moment. "Yes." She finally answered and regretted it immediately. Jude's mouth went to a straight line and it looked like all the weight on the world just landed on his shoulders. "But now you have to tell me why you have a wound on your head. Were you too a little too rough?" Lionel winked at Zero who just glared at her.

Before Jude could answer, Pete stormed into the room. "You can't believe what I just learned." He yelled as he walked in holding a newspaper in his hands, barely paying any attention to Jude and Zero. "Jelena has been shot and she's here, in the same hospital."

"What? Give me that!" Lionel reached for the paper and Pete gave it to her. She went through the pages before stopping to a main article. She glanced through it before looking at Jude. "You found her?"

"It says that?" Zero leaned over to Jude's shoulder to look at the paper.

"Not exactly but it says that Jelena and someone else were injured and taken to the hospital. So by the scar you have, I figured it out." Lionel threw the paper to the footing of the bed from where Pete picked it up and started to read it again.

"Yes, I did found her and called an ambulance. I was knocked down and lost consciousness." Jude explained what had occurred last night.

"Who knocked you out?" Lionel leaned forward as if Jude wasn't going to tell her if she didn't ask.

"I can't remember. I think I didn't even see him… or her." Jude felt his head starting to throb. "It's all blurry in my head. When I think about it, I only see a shadow coming closer to me but nothing else." Zero stared at the wall in front of him, not wanting to think about how close Jude was getting killed.

"I bet it was one of Oscar's henchmen." Lionel said without lowering her voice even an inch. "He called by the way, just before you came in. He's coming over to see his poor wife." Lionel's voice was thick with sarcasm.

All three men looked at each other. Neither of them really wanting to meet with Oscar. It was too late for them to make up any excuse to leave when Oscar already walked in with a smug smile on his face.

They all tensed, thinking how long Oscar had been there listening to their conversation. But even if he had heard them, he didn't show it.

"I see you're popular today." Oscar walked across the room. He gave Pete a tiny nod and the man just nodded back at him, looking away, clearly trying to control his emotions and not to let the hatred show on his face. To Jude Oscar gave his fake smile and Jude ignored him. For Zero, Oscar gave a stern look. Zero stared back at him, moving slightly closer to Jude in purpose to make Oscar uncomfortable. He knew how Oscar tried to get his son to his better side, so he could use Jude to his own schemes, but would never be able to accept Jude being gay. It gave Zero some satisfaction to pester on the guy.

"I think we should go." Jude stood up after giving an encouraging squeeze to Lionel's hand. "I have some business to attend to."

"I heard you're now in my stool at the arena." Jude had just turned towards the door when Oscar's words stopped him on his tracks. He turned around to face the man and nodded. Oscar smiled at him. "I'm glad. I wish you can get it permanently someday."

Zero glanced at Jude who was staring at Oscar with vulnerable expression. Zero couldn't believe Jude was falling for Oscar's lies. He wanted to shake his boyfriend back to his senses but decided to do it later.

"I hope so too." Jude finally said. "So you can never squirm your way back up there."

Zero smiled as he listened Jude talking with so much confidence and stepping up against his dad. In the way Jude was watching Oscar was something odd, but he couldn't quite put his fingers on it. Without any more words exchanged between them, Zero and Jude walked out.

* * *

They went back to the arena. Jude opened the door to "his" office and only now noticed what a mess they had caused: paper scattered around the floor, Oscar's heavy clock knocked down and the leather chair pushed to the farthest corner.

Zero walked in after him and sat to the couch on the center of the room ignoring the mess. He noticed that the rug that used to be there had been taken away. He wondered if Jelena was shot there but Jude's voice interrupted his line of thoughts.

"We need to update your contract so when Jelena gets back, she has no way to trade you." Jude collected the paperwork from the floor. Zero appreciated the view the man was giving him. "Did you hear what I said?" Jude straightened himself and stared at him with a knowing look.

"So we just sign some papers, big deal." Zero gestured towards the desk as if Jude could magically make the new contract appear.

"No, **we** need to meet with your agency. We can't just do a new contract without them." Jude put the papers down to the desk and momentarily got lost into his memories of him and Zero there.

"My agency? You mean with Lucas?" Zero shifted uncomfortably. He hadn't managed to get rid of Lucas even though he had wanted to. The agency hadn't found anyone to replace him yet. Zero was sure if Jude had still been there, he would've managed to find him a new agent in a day. But he wasn't uncomfortable by the idea of meeting up with him. It was the idea that Lucas and Jude meeting for the first time since Lucas ditched Jude to the courtside, which made Zero uncomfortable. He really didn't want Jude to find out the truth.

Jude looked as unpleasant of the idea as Zero was and came to sit beside him to the couch. "Hey, I don't want to meet up with him any more than you do. But it needs to be done. And if we work out the details beforehand it should go fast and smooth, okay?"

Jude took Zero's hand on his and tried to get his attention. Zero looked at him and nodded. "Okay. I'll do it. But in one condition." Jude looked at him expectedly. "You don't exchange a single word with the guy."

Jude frowned, clearly hurt by the suggestion. "What? You don't trust me around him?" Jude withdrew his hands away from Zero's who quickly rejoined them.

"I don't trust Lucas around you." Zero clarified and looked at him straight in the eyes. He was speaking the truth and it must've shown in his face since Jude smiled and agreed to his condition.

* * *

They arranged a meeting to the following day. Zero had reluctantly called Lucas and said his piece. It seemed Lucas was as unwilling to meet him as well.

At noon Zero made his way to the arena's conference room. He was surprised to see there was only one person inside when he got there and that one person had to be Lucas. Zero resisted the urge to turn around and walk away, as the anger swelled inside him when he saw the man. Lucas stirred nervously as he noticed Zero and for a moment they just stared at each other. Eventually Zero walked to the opposite side of the table without saying a word. He fixed his gaze to the door and waited for Jude and Pete to arrive. He felt Lucas stare at him every once in a while but decided to ignore the man. It became impossible however when Lucas started to talk.

"Look, Zero, I had no idea that you had… you know, dated Jude. I would've never said anything to you if I knew." His voice was shaking a little. It gave Zero a great deal of satisfaction to realize that the excuse of a man was afraid of him.

Slowly Zero turned in his chair to face Lucas and gave him a fake smile. "The thing is, Lucas…" He started, emphasizing his name. "…you did tell me and I recall you said something in the line that Jude was un-datable and wrecked for life." Zero felt his anger rise but refused to let it show. Lucas looked towards the door nervously, hoping that someone else would walk in. "But you were right in one thing: he really is hiding an amazing body underneath his suits. Too bad you can never see his body again. And guess what?" Zero slammed his hands against the table which made Lucas jump. "Jude is one of the greatest and wisest person I've ever met and you were willing to just throw him aside without even telling him about it face to face. So if anyone here in un-datable and wrecked… no, I think you're more than that. You're not even half of the person Jude is so if you ever mention his name around me again, I'm not responsible of my actions."

Lucas seemed to be defeated through the whole speech but when Zero started to talk about him, he met his gaze and his whole posture changed. "Are you threatening me, Zero?" He asked and leaned forward, ready to challenge the basketball player. "I'm just wondering. Did you ever discuss about my absence before you launched yourself at Jude after the game?" Lucas saw the answer in Zero's expression and a smug smile appeared on his face. "You know what? Maybe I should take your advice and talk to Jude. Explain why I didn't show up."

Zero pressed his lips to a thin line and swallowed. He didn't get a change to reply when Jude walked in, followed by Pete.

"Oh, you're already here." Jude stopped to his tracks, clearly feeling the tension in the room. He glanced awkwardly at Lucas and nodded at him. Lucas gave him a toothed smile. Zero noticed that Jude seemed to consider where to sit. Pete walked past him and sat next to Lucas, leaving one seat between them. Jude locked his eyes on Zero's and lift his eyebrows as if to ask what had been going on before he came in. Zero just smiled to him and shrugged.

"Is there something wrong?" Pete asked and looked at Jude, who just shook his head. He made his way towards Zero and also left one chair between them to keep it more professional. Zero felt a little disappointed, he had hoped to swing his arm to rest against the backrest of Jude's seat and trace a pattern against his shoulder, watching Luca's expression while he did that, but now his plan was ruined.

"I don't really understand why we're doing a new contract for Zero. I thought you were happy to it?" Pete started the conversation and looked at Zero with a little frown. He probably thought that Jude did this only to get Zero more money.

"Jelena came to talk with me the night Oscar was kicked out." Zero didn't like the way Pete was looking at him and he wanted to tell the truth. "She said she would trade me. So I need a contract she can't undo herself."

"Wow, I didn't take there was so much bad blood between you two." Pete seemed to understand where he was coming from.

"Really?" Zero lifted his eyebrows. "Jelena has bad blood between everyone."

Jude took the opportunity to place the new contract to the table which he and Zero had been working on all night. Lucas eyed the paper pile wearily before taking it and started to read. All the details had been thought through so there was nothing much that Lucas or Pete could contradict with. So they signed and Jude forced himself to hide the smile of relief he felt by their action.

"Zero, can I talk to you for a moment?" Jude stopped in the middle of putting the signed contract back to his suitcase when Pete talked.

Zero and Jude looked at each other. "Why not." Zero finally said and watched as Jude left with Lucas following close behind.

Jude heard Lucas walk behind him and he decided to ignore the man and headed towards his office. He stopped however when he heard Lucas call out his name. Reluctantly Jude turned around, not wanting to be rude. "Yes?"

Lucas walked closer to him and stopped a little too close for Jude's liking so he took a step back. "I had a… interesting discussion with Zero before you came."

"I'm sure I'll hear all about it from him. I really need to go." Jude made a move to leave when Lucas took hold of his arm. Jude looked at his hand and Lucas withdrew it.

"I was thinking, maybe we could catch up? I never got the change to explain why I couldn't show up to the court." Lucas crossed the distance between them, making his intentions very clear to Jude.

"No thanks." Jude said bluntly and walked away, a little ashamed that he wasn't able to keep the promise he had made to Zero.

"I hope you enjoy your time together while it lasts!" Jude slowed down when Lucas called after him. "I think we all know what kind of type Zero is."

Jude fought against the urge to turn around and hit the guy. He had sincerely thought Lucas was a good guy but that line about Zero, made Jude change his opinion of the man.

When he walked away, a thought accrued him. He quickened his pace to get to his office faster. He never saw Lucas again.

* * *

Jude met with Oscar the next day in his old office. Since the thought of Jelena being shot in the main office made him feel uncomfortable. Oscar had never been there before, so it was weird for Jude to see him standing there. His ego seemed to fill up the whole room. Oscar sat down to the other side of the desk without asking permission.

"So what is it that you wanted to see me?" He asked and looked wearily at his son.

"Actually, I've figured out a way to get the Devils back under the Kinkade's name." Jude said and couldn't help but smile when he saw how Oscar's eyes lit up. The man leaned forward to hear more what Jude was about to say. "It should only take one meeting and your signature."

"What do I need to sign?" Oscar looked at him with hungry eyes. Jude hated that not so long ago, he would've done anything to get that attention from Oscar. Now he only felt like a tool, to be used to gain something bigger.

Jude forced those thought to the back of his mind. He licked his lips and locked eyes with Oscar. "The Devil girls."

It took him only minutes to explain his plan to Oscar. It was painfully simple, yet no one could predict the outcome. Jude was still confident they could pull it off.

By the end of it Oscar was smiling smugly, deep in his thoughts, clearly picturizing what he could do with his new found power. "I'll arrange the meeting for tomorrow." He finally said.

"You don't have to." Jude said hurriedly and looked at his wristwatch. "The meeting should start in half an hour." He looked back at Oscar to see the man smile, genuinely, for the first time in his life.

"You have no idea how grateful I am to you right now." Oscar reached out to pat Jude's shoulder. "I'll meet you there."

Jude watched as he walked away before letting out a breath he had been holding. Oscar didn't suspect a thing.

* * *

The meeting was only formal. There were present one lawyer, a board member and Sloane Hayes. Jude had made the paperwork ready. It only needed all of their signatures.

"So, we're here to upgrade the Devil girl's ownerships." Jude started and felt Sloane's gaze on him. He shared a quick look with her before continuing. "As we all know Oscar owns thirty-five percent of the Devils girls. Sloane forty percent, Lionel twenty-two percent and I five percent."

"So after all the papers all signed, the Kinkade's will own the Devil girls?" Sloane examined her copy of the papers with a slight frown on her face.

"It's only formality." Jude smiled at her. He reached out to sign original copy. "After this…" He flipped a page and signed the other page too. "…Sloane will be owning ten percent of the Devil girls and the Kinkade's own the majority of the dancers." Jude signed the last section and offered the paper to Oscar. He watched as Oscar started to sign the papers without reading the contest. Jude's mouth felt suddenly very dry and he had to drink from the glass of water he had poured to himself. After, what seemed like forever, Oscar wrote his name down to the last paper and gave it forward to Sloane. She did the task faster and smiled at Jude.

"I think congratulations are in order." She said and stood to shook Jude's hand. "You're now the main owner of the Devil girls."

Oscar let out a dry laugh. "Sloane, I think your mind isn't as sharp as it used to be. Because it's I, who now own the majority of the girls."

"No, I think I'm right." Sloane looked at Oscar, eyes burning in revenge. "If you look closer at the papers, you'll see that I didn't sell my share completely to you, but to Jude."

Oscar's face fell as he looked at the papers. Luckily the lawyer had already taken them to his possession, because Oscar looked like he wanted to shred the papers to pieces.

"She's correct." Jude managed to speak even though his mouth had turned to sandpaper. "I got thirty-eight percent of Sloane's ownership, which makes me the owner of the Devil girls."

The look Oscar gave Jude, could've taken down many people, but Jude wasn't afraid of the man anymore. He could take the loath and hatred Oscar now felt for him. The man hadn't had a son for a long time.


	2. Trust

Jude fetched the paperwork from Oscar's former office. He didn't want to stay there, although the idea of what he could do with Zero on that table was intriguing, but he still had all his stuff in his own office. The meeting that was supposed to be yesterday and which he had to cancel, was turned to a hell lot of paperwork he now had to go through. He hoped Zero didn't want to celebrate his new contract any time soon.

He had been working only for couple of hours when Zero stormed in. Jude held back a sigh as he gave up on going through the arena's rental contracts.

"What are you doing here? I went to look for you from Oscar's office." Zero asked with amused smile on his face, clearly he didn't mind walking around. He sat down opposite to Jude and leaned backwards, trying to relax.

"The office isn't quite my style. Besides all my other work is here." Jude pointed towards the papers on his desk hinting that he really had work to do, but as usual, Zero ignored it.

"Don't you have anyone to take care of your work? I mean, you are in control of all dozens of staff members here and you're still doing two men's job." Zero was worried about Jude's coping. He stressed easily and by doubling his workload he was sure to snap at some point.

"It's only temporarily." Jude only said rubbed his neck. He was happy to be working. "Besides once Jelena gets back, who knows when I'm able to get a job I like."

"What do you mean?" Zero frowned. "Can't you just make yourself a little updated contract?" Jude was really getting tired of watching Zero wave towards the desk like the contract didn't take any time at all to prepare.

"No, I can't. Jelena is still officially in charge. I can't just make myself a new contract. It doesn't work that way." Jude saw Zero's disappointment. "It's okay, I'll find something else. I'm sure something comes up at the arena."

"Become my agent again." Jude almost startled when Zero jumped forward in his chair and blurted out the offer.

"Your agent? But I…" The proposition was so sudden that Jude didn't know what to say.

"Think about it Jude!" Zero placed his palms to the table. He was so excited by the idea that it was hard for him to stay put. "We could be working together. You could work your way up if the opportunity comes. And let's face it, Jude, you were my best agent ever."

Jude looked up at Zero and he could see how Jude's mind worked with the idea.

"Team Zero?" He offered his hand across the table.

Jude bit his lower lip before taking eye contact with Zero and smiled. "Team Zero!" He echoed Zero's words and took his hand. They both smiled and Zero crawled above the table to give Jude a deep kiss.

Jude broke it soon when Zero's hands traveled to undo his tie. "No, seriously, I have to work. We…" Jude took hold of Zero's hands and carefully pushed them away. "…can continue this…" He looked Zero up and down with a little lust in his eyes which made Zero smile. "…after you sit there, quietly for the next two hours." Zero's face fell by the idea.

"Two hours?" He sat back down and crossed his arms like a little boy whose mother had denied to give him some candy. Eventually he smiled and shook his head. "The things I do for you, Jude." He said and took a magazine which was lying on the table.

Jude smiled back at him and continued working.

It was past five p.m. when they were interrupted by Jude's secretary: "I'm sorry, Mr. Kinkade but the police want to talk with you."

Both Jude and Zero looked at each other.

"Okay, sent them in." Jude said and soon two criminal detectives walked inside.

"Mr. Kinkade?" The other said and looked between the two, soon settling to stare at Jude. "We would like for you to come to the station."

"What for?" Zero had asked before Jude even opened his mouth.

The detective stared at Zero before recognizing him. "Ah, Zero, isn't it? My son's a big fan." Then the man cleared his throat and went back to business mode. "We would just like to ask some clarifying questions about the night Jelena Howards was shot."

"Of course." Jude arranged the papers he had left to a neat pile before getting up and following the detectives. "I meet you at home." He said as he passed Zero and gave him a quick kiss on the lips. Zero nodded at him and watched them go.

* * *

"We hoped you'd have some more information about the night of the shooting." Detective Jones said as he sat with Jude in the questioning room.

"I'm sorry but it's still blurry." Jude had tried to remember who he had seen that night but his mind was blank.

The detective frowned at his answer. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"Sure, why would I lie about that?" Jude tried to find a reason why they didn't believe him.

"The thing is, Mr. Kinkade. That we found the gun which was used to shoot Jelena, at the floor next to you." The detective showed him a photo of the gun. It was a simple handgun and there was nothing particular about it. "Do you recognize it?"

"No. I don't own a gun. You don't think I shot her?" Jude asked half joking, but one look at the man told him he had hit the nail. He felt his stomach drop.

"There were your fingerprints on the weapon." Jones simply said and Jude felt himself start panicking.

"My fingerprints? But I've never touched a gun before in my life." Jude pointed towards the picture and then a thought hit him. "Why an earth I would leave my fingerprints to the gun and then hit myself to head if I had shot her?"

"I don't know. You tell me." The detective crossed his arms and looked at him eagerly.

"I…" Jude looked at the photo again. He realized he needed to remember who the actual shooter was. He tried to remember, really tried, but all he could see in his memory was a dark figure coming raising a hand and hitting him. "I was framed. I would never shoot anyone."

"With that I disagree." Jones took the photo away and leaned against the table. "From what I've heard you had a significant motive to kill Jelena Howards." Jude looked up to the man as if he was crazy. "She sacked both: you and your father. The team had been on Kikade's possession for many years. It was your legacy."

Jude couldn't do anything but to shake his head and smile nervously. The detective was all wrong. He didn't shoot Jelena. He barely even knew her.

"It doesn't make a man take a gun, you think?" Jones smiled shortly at him. "We also know that she was planning on trading your boyfriend, Zero, which I had the pleasure to meet with. By taking out Jelena, you as the second in command, you were given a change not only to take the team back, but to secure Zero's place on it."

Jude felt his head spin. He tried to find words to defend himself, any words, but nothing came out of his mouth. He kept on replaying the events of that night in his head: Zero hitting the banner, Jelena lying on the bloodied floor, figure coming at him, pain, Zero hitting the banner, Jelena lying on the floor, figure coming at him. It was then when Jude made out the face of his attacker. He had to take a good grip at the edge of the table to ground himself. He closed his eyes briefly and swallowed, feeling detective Jones eyes on him.

"I didn't shoot her." Jude was finally able to say but he couldn't tell the name of the real culprit. He just couldn't.

Detective Jones looked a little disappointed as he leaned back on his chair. "And you have no idea who did it?" He then asked and gave Jude a stern look.

"No." Jude lied and looked down at his hands. His knuckles were turning white and he quickly put his hands back to his lap. "I still can't remember."

"Okay." The detective sighed. "You're free to go." He waved his hand towards the door.

"What? Really?" Jude couldn't believe his ears.

"Look, I was only harassing you so you could remember something about the guy who hit you. The fingerprint doesn't prove anything since anyone could've framed you. Besides we found your blood on the end of the gun. You were hit hard with it. The real culprit had tried to wipe it off but he missed a spot."

Jude let out a breath he was holding. "So I'm free to go?" He still clarified, sure that if he walked out he would be dragged to the cell instead.

"Yeah, yeah…" Jones muttered. "Besides we've already made an arrest."

"Who?" Jude asked, fearing the answer.

"Sloane Hayes. The gun was registered on her name."

Jude nodded at the man and walked outside. He couldn't remember a time he had enjoyed fresh air as much.

* * *

Zero was jumping to the walls when Jude told him about the questioning.

"How could they suspect you? That's ridiculous!"

"They didn't suspect me, not really." Jude explained. He watched Zero pacing around before walking to him and taking hold of his shoulders so that the man would settle down. "They only tried to scare me so I could remember who really did it." The touch worked and Zero seemed to relax a little. "And it worked."

"What? Who?" Zero leaned closer to him, not wanting to miss his answer.

"Oscar." Jude hated how hard it was for him to say it out loud.

"Oscar?" Zero echoed. "Oscar, as Oscar himself? Not one of his henchmen?"

"No, it was Oscar himself. God knows why. Maybe he has lost his connections after he got arrested." Jude voice was a little desperate.

"So, what's wrong? They are arresting him, aren't they?" Zero asked and tried to get Jude to look at him.

"I didn't tell them." Jude shook his head and withdrew his hands from Zero's shoulders.

"Why not?" Zero asked taken aback by Jude's actions.

"Cause I couldn't. Not yet." Jude tried to find a words which would make Zero understand. "Oscar knows how to deal with law enforcements. My testimony doesn't guarantee his arrest."

"But it would still cause suspicion on him. Sloane is arrested instead of him." Zero couldn't care less about Sloane, but he wanted to cause some remorse on Jude so that he would do the right thing and take Oscar down.

Jude just shook his head. "I know but I can't do it yet. Think about it, Gideon. This is the only solid way to get Lionel out of Oscar's reach. If I tell him what I remember, he must sign divorce papers so Lionel can get out."

Zero pondered about the idea for a moment. "Okay. I get it."

Jude smiled at him. "I knew you would. I'm going to call to Lionel and go see Oscar after that. I want her and her lawyer be ready for it."

"You're not going alone. I'm coming with you." Zero followed Jude to the kitchen where Jude had left his phone.

"No you won't." Jude put the phone down and turned towards him. "I won't have Oscar know that you're part of this. The less in the line of fire, is better."

"So what, I just stay here and wait for you to come back? Who knows what he could do?" Jude turned his attention towards his phone again and dialed Lionel's number. Zero was annoyed that he didn't get his attention while he was talking.

Finally Jude turned to him. "I won't have you there. Oscar won't do anything to me." With that Jude put the phone against his ear and walked away.

Zero cursed under his breath. He understood why Jude didn't want him there; that he wanted to protect him, but that's just why Zero hated the idea. He was being protected but who was protecting Jude?

* * *

Jude stopped just outside Oscar's room. He took a steadying breath before walking in. Oscar didn't look surprised when he saw him.

"Son! What do I owe the visit?" Oscar stood up and waved towards the chair across his desk for Jude to sit down. The way he said the word 'son' made Jude sick.

"You probably know why I'm here." Jude ignored the gesture and stopped to the middle of the room.

Oscar's smile faded, but only slightly.

"I remembered it was you." Jude said bluntly and waited for Oscar's defenses to drop but the man only grinned.

"I admit it." He said and shrug his shoulders. "I hit you, but that doesn't mean I shot Jelena."

Jude couldn't do anything else but to stare at him.

"Think about it, Jude. I could've found Jelena's body, see the gun there and pick it up in shock. Then I would've heard you walking closer and hide into the darkness of the room. Once I saw you, I knew you wouldn't believe me if I told you that I only happened to found her. So I had to hit you, to get out of there." Oscar sat down by his desk and entwined his fingers.

Jude let out a dry laugh. Who was this man kidding? "I knew you would squirm your way out of this." He huffed in disappointment. "I don't care about your excuses. Let's see what the police has to say about my statement." Jude turned around to leave but Oscar stopped him.

"What do you want from me?" Oscar corrected his position in the chair and looked sternly at his son.

Jude smiled and quickly collected himself before turning around. "What I want is for you to sing these divorce papers…" He walked to the desk and put four pieces of paper in front of Oscar. "…and leave Lionel alone."

Oscar didn't even touch the papers. "So that's it? Why should I trust, after I sign these papers, that you won't go straight down to the police station and tell them about your story?" His voice had lowered down, and as little as Jude knew his father, he knew it meant business.

"I guess it's up to you." Jude looked straight into his eyes, those eyes he had inherited for himself like his mother had once said, and refused to back down.

Oscar stared back at him and laughed. "You're too smart for your own good, Jude." He said then and looked down at the papers. "I presume that Lionel's secured financially for life after I sign these papers."

"She gets half of your money and half the personal property. The house is all yours. Either that or a tiny cell. Your call." Jude was proud to find out that his voice stayed steady, regardless of the inner turmoil.

"Fine. I sign it." Oscar took a pen and wrote his name down. "Will that be all?" He asked and pushed the papers towards Jude.

"That'll be all. Pleasure of doing business with you. As usual." Jude said sarcastically and took the papers.

"I'll be seeing you soon." Oscar called after him. Jude wanted to ask what he meant but his pride didn't let him turn around anymore.

* * *

Zero couldn't describe how relieved he was to see Jude walk inside. He went straight to hug him and felt Jude smile against his shoulder and wrap his hand around his hips.

"Did you miss me?" Jude asked teasingly.

"Always." Zero answered without hesitation and pulled back just so much that he could press a kiss on Jude's lips.

They stumbled towards the bedroom and tore each other's shirts off at the process.

"It's late…" Jude managed to say between the kisses and Zero just pulled him harder against him. "You have a game tomorrow." Jude continued reluctantly not really wanting to depart from Zero but he knew that the man needed his sleep before the game.

"Don't care." Zero mumbled as he made his way down on Jude's neck.

Jude opened his mouth to say something but only a gasp made out as Zero concentrated his attention on Jude's nipples. "Me neither." He whispered then and pushed Zero on top of the bed.

* * *

Jude met with Lionel in their usual coffee place the following morning. She screamed in delight and ran to hug him when she saw him.

"Jude! My hero!" Lionel squeezed so hard that Jude was struggling to breath. "I don't know how you did it, but I owe you big time!" She finally let go of him and escorted him to her table next to the window.

"I did what friends do." Jude said humbly as he sat down. "Have you heard anything about Jelena?" He was a little ashamed that he hadn't gone to see her. But he supposed that she didn't even want him there, so it wasn't probably such a big deal. It still didn't stop him for feeling guilty.

"She's recovering. Too fast for my taste." Lionel rolled her eyes to her own statement. Jude knew she hadn't visited Jelena either, but cause of Lionel's curiosity, she knew everything that was going on. Lionel then leaned forward. "But did you hear that the police has arrested Sloane?" She asked and hoped to see shocked expression on Jude's face but the man just nodded. "You did? Since when?"

"Since I went to questioning yesterday." Jude admitted. He felt little guilty for not telling Lionel sooner, when she looked at him with wide eyes.

"Is it just me because it seems to me that you don't tell me everything these days." Her voice was steady but there was accusing tone in there.

"I'm sorry but yesterday got a bit hectic. How can I make it up to you?" Jude said it half-jokingly but when he saw Lionel's face, he knew she wasn't.

"You could help me pack my stuff." Lionel said with a flirty smile and Jude could only smile and agree.

* * *

"Are you sure Oscar is out?" Jude had parked in front of Oscar's house and eyed it suspiciously. He really didn't want to run into the man after their confrontation last night.

"For the last time yes!" Lionel huffed, frustrated since Jude asked the same question for the third time. "Are you coming or should I leave you here frowning?" She was already outside ready to close the door when Jude quickly got out too.

The house was indeed empty when they entered. Jude had calculated that he would've enough time to help Lionel with her stuff and then do some work before the Devils game started. He soon, however, had to dismiss the idea of working when it took forever for Lionel to gather all her belongings, which was a lot. She had dresses, shoes, jewelry, shampoos, make ups and some more clothing. Just when Jude was about to lift the first box from Lionel's bed, his phone rang.

Jude cursed and quickly checked who was calling: Pete Davenport. Jude frowned, since he couldn't think of any reason for Pete to call him. He answered anyhow, thinking it might be important.

"Jude, it's me, Pete." The head coach started, sounding a little on edge.

"What can I do for you?" Jude put the phone between his ear and shoulder, prepared for a long call.

"Sloane asked to meet you." Jude was just about to pick the box up but stood straight instead.

"Why me?" He asked, a little worried for what she had to say.

"I don't know. Can you, please, just come?" Pete sounded tired. He'd probably hadn't slept at all after Sloane was arrested. Jude felt guilty again, but he told himself, that Sloane's arrest was only temporary. He would fix it soon enough, until Lionel was safe away from Oscar.

"Sure." He found himself saying and Pete sighed in relief.

"What's up?" Lionel emerged into the room as Jude hang up the call. She had thought that Jude would be already taking the second box downstairs but the first one was still untouched.

"I just got a call from Pete. Sloane wants to meet me." Jude answered and looked apologetically at her. "I'll come back and help you right after the game, alright?"

Lionel looked around and sighed. She had really hoped she could get away from this house as soon as possible but it couldn't be helped. Oscar would be gone until tomorrow. He was meeting his acquaintance in Boston. "Okay. But I'll be there watching the game as well. So can I hitch a ride after that?"

"Always." Jude smiled and kissed her cheek. "I'll try not to be late."

* * *

Jude sat nervously in front of Sloane. He was sure she knew, that he knew, the real shooter. The way she looked at him screamed at him to spill all that he knew. But when she started to talk her tone was soft, a little worried, but not accusing and Jude relaxed.

"I'm sorry I had to drag you all the way down here just to talk." Sloane apologized.

"No, it's okay." Jude found himself smiling at her. He still remembered the time when they waged war against each other over Oscar. They had gone so far from that moment. Actually Jude found Sloane very nice, like a motherly nice kind of woman. She always smiled and talked softly with the ones she cared about.

"I just hoped you could tell me with a little bit of detail what happened that night. You were the one who found Jelena, right?" Sloane looked desperate as she leaned forward.

Jude had to collect his thoughts before answering. He wasn't sure what he should tell her at this point. "I really can't tell anything more than I told the detectives." He started and saw the disappointment in her eyes. "Listen…" He reached out across the table but stopped his hands before he could touch hers. "…I can promise that you'll get out soon." Sloane frowned and was about to open her mouth but Jude quickly interrupted her. "No, don't ask me how I know it but I want you to trust me on this, okay?"

Just when Jude had said those words the detective, who had questioned him as well, walked inside. "You're free to go Sloane Hayes. The district attorney didn't lift any charges."

Sloane looked at Jude in disbelief but Jude looked as surprised as she was.

"How is that possible? I thought you had enough to prove that I'm guilty?" Sloane asked as the detective opened her handcuffs.

"We did." Mr. Jones said between clenched teeth. "But somehow the crime weapon has disappeared, so we can't lift charges based only on motive." He continued and slammed the opened handcuffs to the table. "But we'll find it soon enough." He added with a threatening voice.

"Until then." Sloane marched outside, leaving Jude still sitting there with a dumbfound expression on his face. He glanced up to the detective who was staring at him angrily. Jude quickly got up and followed Sloane outside. She had stopped to wait for him a little way down the hall.

"Thank you, Jude. Whatever you did." She said with sincerity that made Jude uncomfortable.

"I really don't know what just happened." He confessed but Sloane just shook her head and smiled.

"Thank you." She said once more and hugged him. Jude wasn't used to hugs and even Sloane's arms felt oddly skinny around him compared to Zero's. "I'll owe you one." She said before walking towards a room which one of the officers showed her to get her things. She was the second person to say that to him. Jude didn't know what to do with so much gratitude.

Jude was feeling pretty good as he sat down behind the wheel. The feeling turned to stress in a moment he checked the clock and realized he had already missed the start of the game. Zero had tried to call him five times. Jude threw his phone to the passenger's seat and drove towards the arena, hoping that he would at least see the ending of the game.


	3. Shot in the dark

The employees' parking lot was full and dark as Jude drove through the gates. He was about to park to his own spot, near the entrance of the arena, when he realized someone had parked his car there. Jude cursed silently as he drove to look for available spot. All the lights were out which only momentarily crossed his mind. It was odd because all the other lamp-posts had been lit around the arena. But Jude was busy thinking more important things. He was on the phone, trying to reach Zero. It was in vain, since Zero's voicemail started, which was expected. He was probably in the middle of the game.

"Zero, it's me. Sorry, I'm late. Had to pick up something." Jude started to speak as the voicemail ended. "Anyway, I'm at the parking lot right now so if you get this before I get there, meet me halfway."

Jude ended the call and dropped his phone to the passenger's seat so he could park his car to a spot a little further away. He was just about to turn off the car when his phone rang. Jude quickly grab his phone and answered without looking who was calling.

"No one crosses me." Instead of Zero's voice he expected to hear, another familiar voice reached his ear.

Jude looked ahead just in time to see two flashes of light followed by a sound of something hitting the windshield and agonizing pain in his body. It immobilized his whole body, making him drop his phone which slid to the passenger's seat legroom. He looked down to his chest but saw nothing out of ordinary. With shaking hands he pulled his suit coat aside and saw two tiny holes in his dress shirt. Jude knew immediately what it meant and he panicked. He started to feel something warm pour down his back. His hands started to shake even more and then all his limbs went numb. Without any strength to support them, his hands fell to his side and his head lolled back against the seat.

Jude looked in front of himself and saw a dark figure standing few feet away from his car. Another, much shorter, figure joined him. Jude tried to make out who they were, but his eyesight seemed to have blurred. He tried to blink, but it didn't help. Soon the shorter figure started to walk closer. Jude followed him with his eyes. The man stopped next to the Jude and leaned against the door with his hands. Jude lifted his gaze up to the man's face and saw the owner of the voice who had called him.

"I didn't want to go this far with you, Jude." Oscar said or more like whispered to him. His voice was cold and steady. Nothing indicated that he regretted what he was about to do, or had already done. "But I couldn't let you go behind my back any longer. If you were anyone else, I would've taken you out weeks ago."

Jude felt spit and blood rice to his mouth. He swallowed and opened his mouth, trying to say something but only a pathetic whimper escaped his mouth. He could hear his own rasping breathing as he tried to form any words.

"What is it?" Oscar asked and leaned closer, so that his face was inches away from Jude's.

Jude gathered all the hatred and power he had left and spat the blood and spit to Oscar's face. The man grunted in surprise and slowly withdrew further away. He wiped the spit away from his eyelid to his sleeve and then smiled at Jude.

Jude wanted to scream and shout to the man. Hit that smug smirk away from his face, but right at the moment even breathing was causing him difficulties. He couldn't feel the blood on his back anymore but instead on the bench, forming a pond. Every breath he drew caused him agonizing pain.

The other figure, dressed completely in dark, walked beside Oscar. Jude saw the gun in his gloved hand and he panicked again. His eyesight blurred again and even though he blinked again, it didn't help. He didn't know if it was because of tears or something else. The figure released the gun's safety catch and was just about to raise the gun when Oscar stopped him.

"Stop." He said and stretched his left hand. "Let me."

Jude watched as the other man gave the gun to Oscar, who examined it with unreadable expression. Then he changed the gun to his other hand pointed it towards Jude and all Jude could think about how unfair it all was. He had just started his life with Zero, just got to know Gideon and now it was all ripped away from him. All he wanted was to see Gideon's face one more time, to hear his voice and apologize for having to leave him behind when his phone started to rang. Jude had just enough strength to look down where his phone laid. The image of Zero flashed on the screen. Jude wanted to reach for the phone so bad, but all he was able to do was to twist his fingers towards it. The frustration made him rest his head back to the seat again and close his eyes.

Jude felt the cold end of the gun being pressed against his forehead. He looked up to Oscar, refusing to look anywhere else, and maybe it was because of loss of blood and maybe Jude was hallucinating but it looked like the man, who was supposed to be his father, was sad.

Jude listened to his ringtone and waited for the end when a familiar voice reached his ear...

* * *

"Jude, where the hell are you? Either you've bought yourself a poorer car or some asshole has parked to your space…" Zero eyed the white Mercedes in disapproval as if the owner could see him. He looked around to see where Jude could've parked. He barely saw anything beyond the front row of cars because of the dim light that arena provided. All the other lights were out. "The game ended in disaster. Could you just answer to me? How am I supposed to spot your car since it camouflages so well in this fucking darkness." Zero knew he would hear later, how it was him, who had picked up the color for Jude.

Then Zero saw two red dots of rear lights little further away. "Wait a minute. I think I see your car…" He briskly walked towards it, wondering why Jude wasn't picking up his phone. Maybe Jude was moping about Oscar or maybe he was angry at Zero, for god knows what reason. As he came closer to the spot he recognized the shape of Jude's Porsche which indeed blended into the darkness of the night.

Zero ended the phone call as he approached the car from rear left. He couldn't see to the front of the car because of the bushes and billboard blocking the view. But he knew Jude was waiting there, because otherwise they would've met in the locker rooms. And Jude would never leave his car's lights on.

"Jude, you have no idea how hard it was for me to find your car. I should've picked bright yellow if this keeps up."

* * *

Zero's voice reached Jude's ears. He turned his eyes towards the sound but couldn't see him. He wanted to shout for him to hurry up, but he knew he couldn't do that. The gun was pulled away from his head. Jude looked up to Oscar who shared a look with the stranger. The two of them backed off into the darkness.

Zero walked around the billboard and his smile grew even wider when he saw Jude sitting on the drivers' bench. He couldn't see Jude's face but he guessed the man was either asleep or sulking. Both were possible scenarios since Jude had been working 24/7 for the last two weeks. His smile however faded when a smell of iron filled his nose.

"Jude?" For the first time since calling Jude, Zero felt that something was wrong. He was now only few feet away from Jude and he hurried his steps. When he saw Jude's face, Zero's felt like he was kicked to stomach. Normally little tanned Jude was completely pale from neck to forehead. Even his lips had loosen their color.

Zero hurriedly opened the door and crouched next to Jude. "Jude, what happened? Look at me." Zero took Jude's head between his hands and shook a little to get his boyfriend's attention. Jude's eyes slowly focused on his, but the gaze was dim. A ghost of a smile appeared on Jude's lips and Zero gave him a tiny smile back, but he soon got serious.

"Who did this to you?" Zero looked around to see if he could see anybody when his eyes were caught on the windshield; there were two holes there. Zero follow the angle of the aperture to Jude's chest. He quickly pulled the suit out of his way and saw two wounds on Jude. One was almost middle on his left chest and another was little above on his shoulder. Wounds were small and bled only a little. Then Zero felt something warm cover his knee and he looked down to see something red drip from the bench.

"Come on… Let me see." Zero wrapped his arms around Jude and carefully leaned the man forward. Jude let out a little whimper as Zero moved him. "Shhh… it's okay." At first Zero didn't see anything odd but when he traveled his hand down Jude's back, he felt something warm and sticky. As he lifted his hand it was covered in blood. Jude's dark suit and black seat made it impossible to actually see the it but Zero felt his man was bleeding, a lot.

Jude rested his chin against Zero's shoulder. From there he saw Oscar standing a little further away in the shadows with a gun still clutched in his hand. Only then Jude realized in how much danger Zero was. He wanted to tell Zero to run, but still no sound came out. His breathing was getting more difficult. Oscar seemed to ponder something before he lowered the gun. Jude saw him and the other figure disappear to the darkness.

Zero rested Jude back to the seat and saw that tears were falling from Jude's eyes. "It's okay. I'm here. You're going to be alright." Zero muttered to Jude and cupped his face, wiping the tears away with his thumbs. His right thumb left a trace of blood below Jude's eye. Zero winced at the sight and looked at his hand where he had hold on to his phone but it wasn't there. He quickly looked around and saw it on the ground; smashed to pieces. He must've dropped it in shock of seeing Jude, without even noticing.

"Fuck." He muttered under his breath and looked around for Jude's phone. "Where's your phone?" He asked even though he knew Jude wasn't going to answer to him. Zero traveled his hand against Jude's body but couldn't feel it anywhere in his pockets. Then he checked the legroom and saw it on the passenger's side. He quickly crawled over Jude to get it, careful not to put too much pressure on him. As he fumbled with the phone, he kept his other hand on Jude's shoulder, partly to make Jude feel he wasn't leaving him and partly because he needed to reassure himself that Jude was still warm.

When he finally managed to get a good hold onto the phone he tried to dial the emergency number. His hands were shaking and for a moment he couldn't even remember what the freaking number was. It seemed to take forever for Zero to finally press to call. He put the phone on speaker and threw it to the passenger's seat.

"Jude, please, speak to me." Zero resumed to his earlier position and put his hands on both sides of Jude's face.

Jude opened his mouth and the words came out so silently that Zero almost missed them: "Sleeve..."

"What?" Zero looked at Jude with puzzled expression.

Jude closed his eyes and tried again, but this time his voice was barely audible: "Sorry." He said instead and Zero felt even more scared than before. He had no idea what Jude was apologizing about. Maybe he was just hallucinating. It pained Zero to think how long Jude had just sat there in his own blood and in pain without no one knowing.

"Is anybody there?" Zero pulled them a little further apart when he heard a female voice coming from the phone. She must've been calling for a few times already.

"Send an ambulance to the Devils' arena! To the employees' parking lot. My boyfriend's been shot." By saying it aloud Zero's voice almost broke.

"Can you tell me your name?"

Zero wanted to throw the phone because of that unnecessary question. She was just wasting time. But he answered quickly just to get help as fast as possible.

"Okay, Zero, do you know who shot him? I want you to make sure you aren't in any kind of danger yourself." The lady said with stern voice.

"I don't know. There's no one else here." Zero had pretty good idea who had done this to Jude, but the time for dealing with that wasn't now.

"Can you tell me where your boyfriend got shot and how many times?"

Zero looked at Jude's chest. "Once to his chest and once to his left shoulder from ahead. He's bleeding… a lot." Zero heard his own voice break at the end.

"Thank you. The ambulance should be there in under a minute. Try to keep him warm and provide him a position in which he is comfortable in. Don't hang up the phone. I'll be on the other end until the ambulance arrives, okay? Inform me if there is any changes in his condition."

"Okay." Zero said and turned his full attention back to Jude again. The man had gone ever paler and his breathing was shallow and rasping. "The ambulance is here soon. Hear that?" The sound of sirens echoed not far away. "You're going to be okay. You're going to be fine." Zero took off his warmup jacket. He had left the court without changing since he knew Jude had been waiting for him.

Zero saw something move in low corned of his eyes. He looked down and saw Jude lift his left hand. Zero quickly wrapped his hands around it. He gave Jude's knuckles a quick kiss before pressing his hand against his chest. Zero felt his own heart beat fast against their hands.

At first Jude was looking at him then he opened his mouth and Zero thought he was going to say something, but instead Jude started to cough. Truly cough, like he couldn't breathe. Jude's whole body convulsed by the strength of it and blood splurged from his mouth. Some of it splattered on Zero's face but he didn't even notice. Jude got even paler, then suddenly blue from the lack of oxygen. He clearly tried to breath, he was gasping for air but with every cough even more blood just came out.

"Jude! Jude!" Zero tried to get Jude to look at him. To relax but Jude just kept on coughing. "There's blood coming out of his mouth!" Zero yelled in hope the lady on the other end could hear him from between Jude's futile attempts of breathing.

Zero was just about to take the phone so he could hear what the woman was saying, when Jude's body went completely limb. His head lolled against his shoulder with eyes closed. Zero quickly lifted Jude's face so he could look at him.

"Jude!" He slapped Jude's cheek a couple of times but there were no response. "He's not breathing!"

"Zero, can you see the ambulance yet?" She asked, clearly thinking there was nothing Zero could do to Jude anymore.

Zero looked around the parking lot just in time to see the ambulance stop near them. Two paramedics ran towards them dragging peer with them.

"It's here." Zero said more to himself and Jude than to her. "He's not breathing!" He yelled at the men. The other focused to Jude straight away and the other took hold of Zero's shoulder.

"You need to move back a little." Zero was about to protest but the man interrupted him. "Give us some space to work, so we can do the best we can."

Hesitantly Zero let go of Jude's hand and took a few steps away. His whole body was shaking and his legs almost gave in underneath him. He couldn't do anything else than to watch. The men lifted Jude's limb body to the peer and they ripped his shirt open. Zero stared at the two bullet holes with shock. His coat was thrown to the ground as the men started to work.

"Pulse is barely palpable. I'll put the I.V on." One of the paramedics said and he stuck a needle to Jude's arm. The other started resuscitation.

Zero looked at his red warmup jacket and Jude's suit jacket that laid on the ground. Without thinking he picked them up and squeezed tightly. He didn't even notice that two police cars had arrived and people had started to gather around them. Most of them were arena's staff members. Some were taking pictures. Zero could see the flashes of light but he couldn't make himself to care. He just stared at Jude.

"We need to move him to the car. Blood is cutting his airways." Zero heard paramedic say and they started to move Jude towards the ambulance. Zero made a move to follow them but a police officer stopped him by taking hold of his shoulder.

"Excuse me, but we need to have a word with you."

"I can't…" Zero tried to pull away from him but the officer held on even tighter.

"It'll take only a moment."

Zero nodded and let himself be guided behind one of the police cars where the onlookers couldn't hear them.

"Can you tell me your name, the victim's name and how you found him?" Officer asked and pulled out his notepad.

Zero shook his head. His thoughts were all over the place. He tried to concentrate to the memory of founding Jude but his mind went back to the ambulance. "I… I found him like that. Jude…" Zero took a deep breathe. "Jude Kinkade, he just sat there. I saw no one. There was blood everywhere." When he closed his eyes he could smell the blood and see the scared expression on Jude's face.

"Okay." The officer wrote it down. "And you must be Zero." The man said with one look of Zero's playing shirt.

"Was it all?" Zero made a move to walk away.

"One more question. Do you have any idea who could've done this to him?" The man gestured towards Jude's car, the scene of the crime.

The officer paid attention of how Zero seemed suddenly focus back to this moment and he looked straight at him.

"Oscar Kinkade." Zero said without hesitation. "He shot his own son."

"Why would you think that?"

"You'll find out soon enough." And without any more words Zero walked away. The officer wrote it down.

The ambulance was still there as Zero walked towards it. The paramedic was just about to close the doors when he saw him.

"Hop on." He was normally weary of letting patients relatives and friends inside but this one seemed calm enough not to cause any trouble.

The ride to the hospital seemed to take forever. But apparently Jude was breathing again as the paramedic only gave him oxygen through a tube in his throat. Once in a while he sucked some more blood out of Jude's airways. Zero found himself breathing for the first time since he found Jude.

* * *

In the hospital Jude was received by two doctors and nurses. Zero made out only two words from the middle of hospital language: blood and surgery. One nurse suddenly stepped in front of him, blocking Zero from following Jude any further.

"I'm sorry, but you need to stay here. He's in good hands." She said, but failed to confirm him. "Are you hurt, mister?" She asked next as she examined Zero's appearance.

"I'm fine. Where are they taking him?" Zero already knew the answer but he wanted as much information as possible.

"He's going to a MRI so the doctors can see how much the bullets has done damage." Zero felt his throat go dry and he swallowed. "Then they're taking him to surgery. Please, sit down here. We'll inform you of the progress." The woman opened a glass door to a small waiting room.

As the door was shut behind him, Zero felt claustrophobic. For the first time he was alone with his thoughts and he hated it. He had no way of knowing how Jude was doing. Hesitantly Zero sat down on one of the benches. There were magazines, but he couldn't even think about reading them. He ran a hand through his hair and took a deep steadying breath. It didn't help at all. He felt like screaming, kicking, strangling someone. His whole chest felt like someone had driven over it with a car. He looked down his hands and saw that his hands were covered in blood, Jude's blood. The smell of it hit his senses again.

Zero walked out from the waiting room and saw a restroom sign on the other side of the corridor. He quickly crossed it and got inside just before he vomited to the floor. It was like all the emotions he had been feeling just went overboard and came flooding out of him. Zero leaned against the toilet's frame and threw up again. He spat the last pile to the floor and took a shaking breath. He almost fell over as he walked to the sink. He looked his reflection from the mirror. His face was covered with blood as well. With shaking hands he opened the faucet and started to wash the blood out almost violently. After he managed to get most of the blood out of his hands, he washed his face and wiped it to his shirt. He looked back to the mirror and saw a pale, unrecognizable man stare back at him. The smell of vomit soon became enough for him and Zero had to leave the room and return to the waiting area.

* * *

The sound of clatter on a tiling floor caught his attention. He knew immediately who it was and soon enough Lionel emerged into the room.

"How is he?" She asked and Zero had never heard such a desperate voice coming out of her.

Zero found himself smirking as he slowly raised his eyes from his hands to Lionel's face. "How is he?" He echoed her earlier words and stood up. "You don't even deserve to know the answer." He hissed as he walked closer to her.

Lionel frowned and looked him up and down taking step back at the same time. "What are you talking about?"

Zero's smile widened and he looked like he had gone mad. "You don't get it, do you?" He stepped even closer so his face was only inches away from Lionel's. "He's out there, in a surgery, fighting for his life, because of _you_." He emphasized the last words with so much venom in his voice that Lionel started to look scared.

"Because of me? You think **I** shot him? You've gone mad!" Lionel refused to back off and she stood as tall as she was capable of.

" **You** let Oscar out of the leash!" Zero yelled at her now and Lionel flinched. "You let him out of the prison! It's all your fault." After that Zero backed off and so did Lionel. She seemed to be in shock as she realized Zero's words were true. She looked away from him and slowly walked backwards towards the door. She reached for the handle and quickly opened it. Without a second look she disappeared to the corridor.

Lionel walked steadily towards the exit. She wanted to run but her pride didn't let her. As she finally reached the open-air. She stopped to lean against the hospital wall. A loud sob escaped her mouth and she felt tears fall down her face. Jude was her best friend. He was like a brother to her… like a son she never had. And now, she had almost killed him with her reckless actions. Lionel heard someone coming, so she quickly wiped her face and walked towards her car.


	4. Lost

Zero lost all track of time. No one else besides Lionel, came to see how Jude was. Zero was glad his phone laid broken on the ground back at the arena. He guessed it wouldn't stop ringing, if it still worked. All the papers would've harassed him with questions and not a one single person would've truly cared about Jude's wellbeing. It hurt Zero to think there was no one else beside him and Lionel who cared of him. For a moment Zero thought about Jude's mom. He never talked about her. He had once asked something about her and Jude had just shrugged and said that he rarely saw her.

A sound of door opening caught Zero's attention and he looked up to see the same nurse, who had escorted him there earlier, walk inside. Zero tried to read her face if the news were bad or good, but she was like a blank paper.

"Can I?" The nurse pointed at the seat next to Zero and he nodded vaguely, not really caring about the company. "So, Jude made out of the surgery and he's been taken to the intensive care unit."

Zero nodded slowly, he wanted to feel relieved but something about her voice made him be on his tiptoes. Before she could continue however, a doctor walked in with his long white coat.

"Mister Zero?"

"Yeah." Zero nodded at him and the doctor shook his hand.

"I'm Doctor Moore. I carried out Mr. Kinkade's surgery." The man paused for a second to see if Zero was in a state of mind to follow what he was saying. He seemed to think so as he continued: "Jude has lost a lot of blood and the damage that the bullets have done are severe. Fortunately he made out of the surgery with only one setback." Zero wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what it had been and luckily Mr. Moore continued without further explanations. "In the MRI scans we saw that the bullet on Jude's shoulder had gone through without crossing any main vessels. The other bullet had caused much more damage instead. It had pierced Jude's left lung and bronchus, nearly missing his heart and aorta. The shot must've been quite accurate."

Zero felt a chill go down his spine and he clenched his fists. The nurse reached to his hands but he withdraw away from her. She gave him an apologetic smile and settled back to her seat.

"Because of the damage to his lungs and loss of blood he is in life-support which should speed up his recovery. Unfortunately he was without oxygen for a while before paramedics revived him, so I cannot tell you how much damage it could've caused to his brains. We just need to wait and see until he wakes up."

* * *

Dr. Moore's voice rang in Zero's ears as he was lead through the hospital's empty corridors to the ICU, where Jude now was. Words like _pierced lung, blood loss_ and _brain damage_ kept going on and on in his head. The nurse who guided him through the unit stopped next to a large room where they could see inside through a window.

"You can stay here through the morning and until the visiting hours are over. If you need anything just ask from the nurses inside." The nurse explained and left Zero alone.

He looked through the window and swallowed when he saw Jude lying on a bed. Slowly and silently Zero sneaked inside and closed the door behind him. A mix of disinfectant, blood and something he couldn't put a name on filled his nose. There were three other patients in the room. The beds were separated by curtains and to Zero's relief all three nurses had gathered to the other side of the room.

Zero walked closer to the bed Jude laid in. He was almost unrecognizable under the layer of sheets and with all the tubes coming in and out of his body. A bubbly sound caught Zero's attention and he looked down to see a small device which was sucking reddish liquid out of Jude. The doctor had said something about sucking all the blood and tissue fluids out of his lungs, so it must've been it. The worst was still the respirator which made a horrible wheezing sound and was attached to a large tube going down Jude's throat.

Zero had always hated hospitals. He hated the idea of being vulnerable or see anyone else in that state. He hated how he couldn't control what happened inside these walls. Every cell on his body screamed for him to turn around and run as fast as he could, but he forced himself to walk closer to the bed. Jude's face was still pale, but his lips had gained some color back. Zero was about to sit by the bedside but hesitated, instead he saw a lonely chair in the corner and he dragged it beside the bed.

Zero sat down and found the chair extremely uncomfortable. For a while he moved around it, trying to find the best position to be in. Eventually he settled to sit forward and lean against his knees with his elbows. Zero carefully took Jude's right hand between his palms, as if the man could wake up if he squeezed it too tightly. The peeping which indicated Jude's heartbeat, that would've normally annoyed the hell out of him, calmed his mind and the exhaustion started to take Zero over, but he refused to sleep.

* * *

Zero had stayed up all night. He was still wearing his playing kit and he shivered in the cool room. The nurse had come and gone in every fifteen minutes. Almost every time asking how he was doing. Zero wanted nothing more than for her to concentrate on Jude's vital functions and not ask stupid questions.

Zero often forgot they weren't alone, it was so quiet in the room and he didn't want to know why. He had hoped that Jude would've showed at least some signs of being awake but he still laid on the same position. Not even an eyelid had fluttered during the hours.

A loud clatter of high heels caught Zero's attention. He was surprised to see Lionel enter the room with determined pace. She walked straight to the other side of Jude's bed and gave Zero a hard stare.

"What are you doing here?" Zero leaned back at the chair and looked at her with as much arrogance he was able display after being awake 26 hours straight.

"Shut your mouth!" Lionel spat and put her purse on the bed. "You listen to me now." Zero opened his mouth to tell her to leave but she raised her finger. "I had a lot of time to think during the night and I admit it's my fault Jude's in this condition. If I had known Oscar was capable of trying to kill his own son, I never would've even considered getting him out of jail. " Lionel saw Zero was about to say something again and she quickly continued: "BUT I'm going to fix it as well. So **you** and **I** need to work together." She pointed her finger between them.

Zero burst out to laugh and he looked at her like she had completely lost her mind. "You got to be kidding. I want you out of here!"

Zero pointed towards the door but Lionel stayed put. She saw four nurses standing on the other side of the room, clearly pretending not to listen to their conversation. Lionel leaned forward and lowered her voice. "We both want Oscar to pay for what he did to Jude." Lionel paused and waited for Zero's reaction. The man just shrugged. "We need to put our differences aside and do that for Jude's sake. He's not safe until we take Oscar down."

To Zero it felt like Lionel had just ripped the guts out of his body. He had been so absorbed thinking about last night's events and Jude's wellbeing that he had completely missed the fact that Jude was still hanging by a threat; as long as Oscar was free, he would do everything on his power to get Jude killed.

Lionel saw how Zero's expression changed from indifferent to fear and she knew she had gotten through to him. "When I got home last night Oscar was in shower." Lionel leaned against the bed so she could speak with even lower voice. "I saw his clothes on the bed where he always left them and found a red spot on his shirt blouse. It could be Jude's blood."

Zero looked up at her with shocked expression. "Tell me you didn't wash it."

Lionel looked offended. "Of course not, how stupid do you think I am?" She exclaimed until she realized where they were. She looked towards the nurses and they quickly turned their gazes away. "It's here." She lifted her purse. "Safe in a plastic bag. I'm going to take it to the police."

Zero was always amazed how women were able to fit all their belonging to a small bag like hers. "You don't think he noticed that you stole clothes he wore while shooting his son?"

Lionel smiled to him wryly. "While I took the clothes, I told him I was going to wash them. He didn't react out of ordinary so I think he hadn't even noticed the spot."

Zero nodded and looked into the distance, deep in his thoughts. "You got yourself a deal." He stood up and offered his hand at Lionel. "Truce." Lionel shook his hand. "But we both know we need more evidence than just a dirty cloth to get Oscar convicted."

"But it's a start." Lionel clutched to her bag like her life depended on it. "We can only hope they'll find traces of gunpowder on it as well." She took a little pause. "We need to take turns on watching over Jude until we get police assistance here. Oscar could just walk right in… or more likely one of his henchmen."

"I'll stay here as long as they let me." Zero nodded towards the hospital staff.

"You're going to stay here like that all day?" Lionel looked him up and down. "Here, I took liberty to bring you these." She tossed a white plastic bag over the bed to Zero. He frowned and looked inside. There were two t-shirts both Jude's and his and both of their jeans as well.

"Where did you…?" Zero tried to ask but Lionel was already pushing him out of the room.

"I think I saw a visitor's bathroom near the nurse's office." She pointed towards the right destination and slammed the door shut behind him.

* * *

When Zero was gone Lionel returned to the side of Jude's bed. She hadn't seen him since yesterday, when he saved her ass from Oscar. Now the tables had turned and Lionel still couldn't believe that someone could do that to Jude. She sat by the bed and reached out to run her fingers through his hair. Jude was a fighter, she was certain he would pull himself through but it still made her feel uneasy to see him so weak.

A sound of nearing footsteps made her jump up and turn around to see Zero walk in. He had changed to his own clothing and looked much fresher than earlier. The circles under his eyes were still dark and his face was pale but otherwise he looked much better. Lionel felt much more ease to see the training kit which had been covered in dried blood gone. Zero carefully folded the clothes meant for Jude to the drawer next to the bed.

A little after he came in, one of the nurses walked over to them. "Excuse me, but I need to ask who you are to the patient?" She looked at them curiously.

"I'm his boyfriend." Zero answered first and glanced at Lionel with raised eyebrows, indicating that she should continue.

Lionel was surprised that she didn't hear any hesitation in Zero's voice while he said the word 'boyfriend'. She had always had the feeling that this man wasn't really the domestic kind of guy. "I'm Jude's stepmother." She finally answered.

"Okay." The nurse looked between the two with a little frown on her face. She was clearly surprised by Jude's family affairs. "He has put you two as his closest relatives, who we can inform about his medical records. So everything is in order. Thank you." With that she left. Zero was surprised that Jude had even thought about that. He still had Pete Davenport on his medical files in case he couldn't make it to practice if he was hit by a car or something. He made a mental note to himself to change that.

"I should go to the police department." Lionel said and Zero nodded at her. "Take some rest, will you." She added before giving a small peck to Jude's cheek, leaving traces of red lipstick on his skin. "You too." She whispered to Jude's ear and then she was gone.

* * *

At noon the doctor came to check on Jude. He examined the machines around him, pointed a flash of light to his eyes and checked his wounds. Zero had been chased to the other side of the curtains during the checkup. Not being able to see Jude made him feel uneasy. It didn't take long though, when he was called back and the doctor started to explain what was going on. From what Zero could understand they were going to take x-ray from Jude so they could see how his lungs were healing. The dose of painkillers which Jude was now on, was going to be reduced little by little so Jude was probably going to be awake in the following few days. Basically it was good news and Zero couldn't wait to be able to talk to Jude or at least see his eyes open.

Not long after that an x-ray machine was brought to the room and Zero had to, yet again, wait outside for the staff to do their work. The x-ray seemed to be in condition as the doctor later informed him that Jude was going to be moved to a private room. Zero couldn't be any happier about that; not only by the fact that Jude was recovering, but also that he wouldn't have to deal with the eavesdropping nurses. The excitement however faded soon.

"I'm afraid we can't tell if there's been any brain damage until Jude wakes up." The doctor said as his last remark and Zero felt the fear creep into his guts again.

It was only half an hour later that Jude had been successfully moved to another room when Zero finally lost it:

"Excuse me, is this the room where Jude Kinkade is?" From the corridor Zero could hear a familiar voice which send shivers down his spine. "I'm his work colleague. He's a… very close friend."

Zero was already up when the door was opened and Jelena Howard walked in with a big fake smile on her face. She was still wearing hospital clothing but otherwise no one could tell there had been anything wrong with her.

"What are you doing here?" Zero stepped between her and Jude as if he was ready to protect him from her evil powers.

"Oh, how rude. I just came to see my friend." Jelena inhaled in shock and turned towards the nurse who had escorted her there. "It's alright. You can go." The nurse eyed them wearily before walking away.

After he had left Jelena turned towards Zero again and the smile had grown even bigger. She looked smug and Zero wanted nothing more than to wipe that grin out of her face.

"I can't say I didn't laugh when I heard poor Jude was hospitalized." Jelena peeked behind Zero to take a look of the state Jude was in. "I must say karma's a bitch." She then looked at Zero with victory shining in her eyes. "I look forward to kicking you **and** your precious companion out of the arena."

"I have a renewed contract which states that I can be traded only when the head coach and the owner of the team both agree to it." Zero stepped closer to her, provoking her for threatening them more.

"Oh, please." Jelena laughed. "That's only a small bump on the road. As for Jude… nothing can stop me from kicking him out right away. I won't let any Kinkade take one more step into the arena." She then looked straight to Zero's eyes and stated with a cold voice: "Too bad they didn't kill each other off."

At that point Zero lost it. He lunged forward and took hold of Jelena's neck with is left hand. He enjoyed the feeling of squeezing her windpipes shut. "You stay the hell away from Jude." He leaned forward and said it with so much hatred in his voice, that even for a second the mask on Jelena's face wavered. As her face started to turn pale, Zero let go of her and took a step back. He was breathing heavily and both of his fits were clenched shut.

Jelena coughed and took a deep breath. She soon collected herself and when she looked up at Zero again, he felt utterly disgusted as Jelena was smiling. "If you're willing to go without a fuss, I might reconsider Jude's position again. If not… you'll pay for laying your hands on me." The last words she said her voice full of venom before she turned around and rushed away. Leaving Zero standing there with his head buzzing in anger. This was one reason why Zero was so hesitant to start a relationship with Jude, to let everyone else see something real from him. Zero knew he made enemies easily and now everybody knew Jude was his weak point.


	5. Resent

Zero started to catch up with time only 16 hours after Jude was shot. It was about noon when he first truly looked at the clock and understood what it showed to him. He realized the practice had started two hours earlier. He had never, not even once, in his career had missed one. But right at the moment he didn't even care. A little after that his stomach growled almost painfully with the lack of food. After that Zero found himself eyeing the empty glass which stood by Jude's nightstand and his mouth felt dry as desert. He realized he hadn't drank anything after the game last night and he must've lost a lot of fluid during the game.

Before Zero could decide whether to drink some water or let it be, someone knocked on the door. He turned towards it half expecting to see Jelena walk back inside and start her threatening, but instead he saw Pete peek his head from the door gap.

"Can we come in?" He stepped aside to let Zero see he was with Sloane.

Zero was surprised to see them. He wasn't really friends with Pete, but in other hand he didn't dislike him either, which was quite a lot from him. Sloane he had seen many times, but never even talked to her. Zero found himself nodding to Pete and the two of them entered the room.

"We brought flowers and a card." Pete lifted the objects he was carrying for Zero to see as he went and arranged them on to the nightstand. Zero could imagine the card was clichéd 'get well soon' card which almost screamed fake sympathy. He still found himself smiling a little.

"How is he?" Zero turned to look at Sloane. She was leaning against the foot of the bed and was looking straight at him with a sympathetic smile and worried frown on her face. Zero started to dislike her.

"Not good." He answered shortly but when the couple kept staring at him in expectation, he was forced to continue. "…but the doctors said the worst should be over and Jude's condition is improving." He really didn't like to share their private stuff with almost strangers but he didn't know what else to say.

"That's good to hear." Pete said and rubbed the palms of his hands together. "What about you?"

Zero looked at him with a frown. "What about me?"

"Are you doing okay? We skipped the practice because of this. So you shouldn't worry about leaving behind." Pete said and sounded actually genuine.

"I…" Zero felt the emotions of last night rush over him again and he had to close his eyes so he could control them. If it had been Jude to ask the question, Zero would've let it all out, but with Pete he had to conceal it. "I'm fine." He finally managed to blurt out. "Just tired, you know?" Both Pete and Sloane nodded.

"Zero…" Sloane said, trying to get him to look at her. "…if you need anything, anything at all, let us know, okay?" She walked closer and pressed a steadying hand on his shoulder.

"I'll keep that in mind." Zero faked a smile at her and forced himself not to flinch away from her touch. Sloane smiled at him and finally withdrew her hand.

"Do you have any idea, who could've done this to Jude?" Pete knew the position Jude was in entailed some enemies, but he had always thought Jude was a nice guy and couldn't figure out who would go so far to hurt him.

"Who do you think?" Zero looked at Pete as if he was challenging the man.

"You don't mean?" Sloane was horrified to even say it aloud.

"Oscar." Zero answered without hesitation. He saw the doubt in both, Pete and Sloane's eyes but the reality started to kick in slowly.

It was Sloane who believed him first. "If I thought Oscar was a horrible human being before, now I think he's nothing more than a monster." Sloane would never understand how someone could do this to their child. She felt shivers go down her spine just when she thought about Ahsha. "If you need someone who can help you to get Oscar behind bars. I'll do anything I can." Sloane turned to face Zero and gave him a serious stare.

"Sloane! Have you forgot that Oscar tried to kill you too just a few weeks ago?" Pete looked at his girlfriend with shock and worry written all over his face.

"Look at what he did to his **own** son, Pete!" Sloane raised her voice and gestured towards unconscious Jude. "You really think he's going to stop just because he said so?"

Pete took a proper look at Jude which he hadn't done since arriving there. "Okay, I'll promise to help too. So if you need anything give us a call." Pete walked over to Zero and patted his shoulder friendly. "In the meantime, we'll keep our ears and eyes open."

"Thanks, I appreciate it." Zero said with sincerity this time. He rarely thanked anyone but Pete and Sloane's self-sacrifice meant a lot to him.

"We have to go, but remember what I said." Sloan said and he nodded at her.

Zero watched them go. He didn't quite know what to think of their visit. No one forced them to come and they had seemed actually worried. Zero shook his head, they were just doing their job he thought and forced himself to think about something else.

* * *

"I brought you some coffee."

Zero startled by Lionel's voice near his ear. He had been so deep in thoughts that he hadn't heard her come in.

"You think I startled you? Do you have any idea how I felt to see Jude's previous bed empty when I came." Lionel pushed the take away coffee cup to Zero's hands and walked to the other side of Jude's bed. "Luckily the nurse who we met earlier was still on shift, so she told me he had been moved."

"I should've probably told you." Zero muttered, paying only little attention to her rambling.

"Hell yes, you should've!" She exclaimed before noticing how out Zero was right now. "Drink your coffee, would you?"

Zero didn't really feel like drinking anything but he still forced himself to take a sip. The coffee tasted awful but once the take the first sip, he found himself taking another. Soon the cup was empty, but now his stomach was growling again.

"I almost forgot." Lionel, who was just about to drink from her cup, suddenly put it away and dig two sandwiched wrapped in plastic from her purse. "I hope you like tuna." She said and tossed the other one to Zero.

They ate in silence, both looking at Jude, just waiting for something to happen.

Something did happen, but it didn't involve Jude. When Zero was about to take his last bite from the bread two police officers walked in.

"Zero?" The other one asked and Zero nodded at him, putting the sandwich away. "We want you to come to the station for further hearing of the attempted murder of Jude Kinkade." The way he said it made it seem like Zero didn't even know Jude, let alone sit next to his hospital bed.

Zero glanced at Lionel who shrugged at him. "I'll stay here and inform you if there's any change."

"You better." Zero answered to her and stood up so he could follow the officers. Before he left the room, he took one last look at Jude, as if he was trying to say to him that was going to come back as soon as possible.

* * *

At the police station Zero was led to a small questioning room. A glass of water was put in front of him to the table and a female detective sat to the opposite side. She took a good look at him before introducing herself as detective Jillian Short.

"I thought you usually call people you want to interrogate." Zero stated, little annoyed that they had taken him from the hospital and driven him here in a police car. Fortunately for him, there hadn't been any reporters in the underground parking lot.

"In this case we did too, but we couldn't contact you since we found your phone near Mr. Kinkade's car last night." Officer Short said with a blank expression.

Zero raised his eyebrows. "I forgot."

Jillian just smiled tightly. "We would like you to tell us in detail what happened last night between seven p.m. and ten p.m."

Zero did as he was told and he went through the night with as much detail as he was able to muster. He left out some parts, because talking about them made his stomach turn and he felt too exposed. The officers eyes were fixed on him every single second and Zero felt like she could see right through him. Jude also had that ability on him, but coming from Jude it didn't feel as unnerving.

Once he was done, Jillian leaned back on her chair and she browsed through the casefile. She finally stopped on one page. "Last night you said you didn't see anybody near Mr. Kinkade's car when you found him, correct?"

Zero nodded at her.

"Then tell me…" Jillian leaned forward again, placing both hands on to the tabletop. "…why did you say that it was Oscar Kinkade, the victim's father, who had shot Jude?"

Zero narrowed his eyes and leaned forwards as well. "Because I know he has the motive and the ability to do so."

"What motive?" Jillian asked not breaking their eye contact.

Zero let out a dry laugh and leaned back again. "Oscar Kinkade had disowned his son many months before. Jude had crossed him many times during that time and now it was the last straw, I think. As it probably says in your files that Jude didn't get Oscar a change to renew his standing with the team." Zero pointed towards the detective's papers.

Detective Short stared at him hard before placing a newspaper in front of Zero. "You can read that while I'm gone." She gave him a little smile.

Zero looked down at the paper and felt like a knot was tied around his throat. It was today's newspaper with headline of Jude's attempted murder. Zero looked up to ask why she had given it to him, but the detective was already gone. Hesitantly he started to read through the article. There were many pictures of him and even Jude being carried into the ambulance. Zero looked at the pictures of him; he looked like a lost puppy in a middle of everything. In one picture he was holding two jackets, both his and Jude's. Zero couldn't remember where he had put those.

After what seemed like a forever, officer Short came back inside and sat down again.

"Did it stir any memories?" She asked.

Zero swallowed and shook his head. "No." He pushed the article back to her.

* * *

Lionel had turned on the TV in the hospital room. There were some dumb reality show about people who presented their clamorous lifestyle in Hollywood.

"Would you look at that, Jude." She laughed humorlessly and pointed towards the television. "That's a face of a woman who wouldn't hesitate to sell her own kidney just to get a story to some trash magazine." She glanced at Jude whose eyes were still closed and his head was tilted away from her direction. She smiled sadly at him before collecting herself again and turning towards the program again.

"Excuse me, but who are you?"

Lionel looked towards the direction of the voice and saw a tall, slender woman stand in the doorway. Lionel turned the TV off and faced the stranger with a smug smile. "I should ask you the same thing. What are you doing in Jude's room?" The woman was pretty, but her clothes were far too common for Lionel's taste.

"So this really is Jude's room." The woman smiled with relief and walked in.

"Hold on a minute, lady!" Lionel stood up and was ready to jump between her and Jude if she tried to come any closer. "If you don't tell me right now who the hell you are, I'm going to call the security to come and drag you out from your little ponytail."

The woman seemed to be taken back by her words and she looked confusedly between Jude and Lionel. "I'm Jude's mother and there's no way I'll let a complete stranger talk to me like that." The woman's voice didn't rise but her tone was stern. "Who were you again?"

Lionel couldn't stop the surprise to show from her face. "Jude has a mother?" She blurted out the words before she could stop them. "I mean…" Lionel didn't know what she had meant. She had always thought Jude's mother had died or that she had abandoned him at some point. He just never talked about her. She couldn't help feeling a little jealous too. She had always thought there was something more than friendship between her and Jude, something like a mother and son would have.

Jude's mother seemed to know what Lionel was thinking and she gave her a sad smile. "He doesn't talk about me much, doesn't he?" She said with a small voice and carefully walked closer. "You're Oscar's wife, aren't you?"

"In a matter of fact I am." Lionel said a little surprised that the woman knew who she was.

"Jude has mentioned you once or twice. We don't really talk with each other much, you know?" The woman said with a little shame on her voice. "I'm Heather by the way." She extended her hand and Lionel took it.

"Lionel." She answered and Heather carefully sat down to the bench where Zero had previously sat.

"I'm a little stunned that I didn't get a call from the hospital when Jude was brought here. I found about the incident from the news." Heather said and she fixed her eyes to Jude's sleeping face.

Lionel examined Heather's appearance; she was probably in her early fifty's but there were some excessive wrinkles on her forehead and around her eyes. Lionel thought she had had a hard life.

"Can you tell me how he is?" She asked then and turned towards Lionel.

"I'm not very good with hospital stuff, but what I heard, he's getting better."

"That's a relief." Heather said with a sight and she turned towards Jude again.

Lionel expected her to say something again but they fell to an uncomfortable silence. For some reason Heather reminded Lionel of Jude; she seemed to radiate same kind of calmness.

The silence was cut, to Lionel's gratitude, when her phone rang. She quickly answered it but her face fell when she heard Zero's voice from the other side: "Lionel, they arrested me. You got to bail me out of here!"

* * *

Lionel walked down the police station's hall like she had done many times before. She knew that she had to introduce herself to the guard on the lobby, she knew she had to show her id and she knew she had to wait for a moment before an officer came to escort her to the visiting room. But with Zero she didn't get a private room. Oscar's lawyers had make an agreement for private conversations but Zero had yet to even see his own lawyer. He had said something about not trusting the guy. So they had to go through the conversation while a police officer was standing by the door.

Lionel was pointed towards a chair by where Zero already was and she sat down on it with as much grace as she was able to. At the other side Zero looked even wearier than before. Lionel really started to think the man could pass out any minute.

She cleared her throat and told the bad and only news first: "The bail is too large for my purse, Zero."

"How much?" Zero asked immediately and frowned, as if he didn't quite believe her.

"A five digit number." She said with awed voice. "A smaller amount I could've withdraw from my account but Oscar's following my purchases so I can't risk for him to notice I'm already completely on your side."

Zero sighed. He understood where she was coming from, but he needed to get out now, to see Jude. "My money's on a house I bought recently. Fuck…" His whole posture slumped, as if the weight of the whole world had just landed on his shoulders.

"I'll figure something out." Lionel said with a stern tone. "Do you have any friends who could help out?"

Zero laughed dryly. He? Friends? Not a change. Then he remembered the conversation he had with Pete and Sloane. "There's someone, but I don't think you like the idea."

Lionel lifted her eyebrow at him.

* * *

Lionel dialed Pete's number as she walked into the room Jude was in. She had almost forgotten his mother, who was still sitting by her son's side. Lionel realized she even forgot to mention her to Zero.

"Pete." A voice from the other end caught Lionel's attention.

"Do you have 10 000 dollars?" She asked bluntly as she turned around and walked out of the room to the corridor. She didn't want Heather to listen at her conversation.

"Excuse me?" Pete's sounded skeptical, probably thinking that Lionel was trying to blackmail him.

"Zero's asking, not me." Lionel smiled sweetly even when Pete couldn't see her fake smile.

After she had explained the situation to Pete, he promised to go see Zero at the station. Lionel, satisfied about the result, ended the call as soon as possible. Even though her relationship with Pete had gotten better, she still didn't want to hang around him if it could be avoided.

Lionel walked to Jude's bedside and greeted his mother with the same smile she had made earlier. Heather nodded at her. It didn't take long for Lionel to realize just how little Heather was actually looking at her son, like she was ashamed to do so. It made her a little furious towards the woman. Was she thinking Jude wasn't good enough for her?

* * *

Zero sat by the bedside at the police station's cell. He was leaning his face on the palms of his hands and tried not to go insane and yell his lung out. The four walls seemed to fall down on him and even the thought of not being able to be on Jude's side made him sick. The worst part was that if something happened, he wouldn't even know about it.

Zero couldn't describe the relief he felt when the cell's door was opened and in walked Pete and the Devil's lawyer.

"The police wants to interrogate you." The lawyer, who had earlier introduced him as James Stone, said as he put his briefcase to the floor. Behind him stood the officer who had talked with Zero earlier and waited for them to follow her. "We can talk in private before that if you want."

Zero shook his head and stood up. He felt dizzy for not drinking or eating anything in many hours. He was being led to the same interrogating room as before and, Zero guessed, the same glass of water was still standing on the table. He sat down, grateful that he didn't pass out on the way.

"I'll wait outside." Pete said and gave Zero a reassuring smile. One that he used to give in a middle of the game when they were losing and it really didn't booze Zero's confidence at all.

"So, Zero, as your lawyer is here you probably want to talk to us now?" Jillian crossed her arms as she sat down.

Zero glanced at Mr. Stone who dragged another chair to the table and nodded at him. "Just answer the questions truthfully."

"Okay then. Fire away." Zero leaned back in the chair, waiting for the bombing to start.

"There are several facts that indicates your commitment to the crime." The detective started and locked her piercing stare at Zero. "You had the motive and the time. We found the gun near the scene of the crime and all the fingerprint were wiped from it."

Zero couldn't believe his ears. "What motive? Why would I try to kill my own boyfriend?" He spread out his hands in disbelief.

Jillian browsed through the casefile again, which started to annoy Zero. It was clear she was pretty rookie as a detective. In other hands that could give them a head start of getting himself out of there. Finally she stopped at one page and she looked up at him again. "Is it true that Jelena Howards was going to sack you from the team?"

Zero pressed his lips to a thin line as the anger, which that name caused, swelled in him. "Yes." He managed to utter but failed to conceal the utter hatred in his voice.

Detective Stone, as rookie as she was, picked on it immediately and a smug smile flashed on her face. "So after she told you the news, you broke a billboard with her picture on it."

Zero didn't like the way this interrogation was heading towards.

"After that… you went home? At least that's what it says in **my** files." She gave him a cold stare again.

"Exactly." Zero swallowed the dryness in his mouth.

"So hypothetically you could've walked into Pete Davenport's office, find the gun there and a thought could've crossed your mind of how to get rid of all your problems. So you went to Miss Howard's room and shot her." Zero opened his mouth to say something, but she quickly continued. " **But** what you didn't know was that your boyfriend Jude hadn't left the building and he came to talk with Jelena. As you heard him coming, you quickly hid yourself. You were prepared to shoot the witness but when you saw it was him, you hesitated and knocked him out instead. But later he either started to remember who he saw or he didn't want to protect you anymore so you formed a plan to get rid of him."

"Zero, remember she is only speculating." Mr. Stone tried to get Zero's attention on him but he realized it was already too late.

"You're thinking I tried to kill both Jelena and Jude? And failing both times?" Zero couldn't help but laugh but there were no humor behind it. It all felt surreal. Frist Jude was accused of shooting Jelena and now him? Zero had to collect himself before even making himself to ask the next question: " **If** I had shot Jude, why would I let him live and call him an ambulance?" He was surprised by the calmness in his voice.

Detective Short was silent for a moment. "Maybe you started to regret it. Or maybe you thought it would save you from accusations if you at least tried to call help. Maybe you thought he would die before the ambulance even got there."

The woman was right in one thing: Zero had truly thought Jude would die before the ambulance came.

* * *

In the end Zero was led back to the cell for further questioning. Mr. Stone had said he would go and talk with the district attorney about his case. It had been almost midnight when he had returned and Zero was released, since the police didn't have enough evidence.

Zero walked to the nearest payphone and called Lionel. "How's Jude?" He asked before Lionel could say anything.

"He was fine when I left." Lionel almost whispered to the phone.

"You left? Why the hell would you leave him alone? Didn't we agree not to let him out of our sight?" Zero slammed the booth's wall in frustration.

"Stop yelling at me." Lionel hissed at the other end. "The police arranged a guard to watch over him. Besides the hospital staff chased me out of there since the visiting hours were over." Lionel heard Zero breathe out in relief. "Look, I have to go now. Oscar's home and I don't want him to know I'm talking with you." With that she stopped the call.

Zero stood in the phone booth for a long time, thinking where to go. Since he couldn't visit Jude before morning, he had only one place to go.


	6. Step back

Zero walked inside and threw his keys to the glass table. The sound it made seemed to echo in the empty apartment. Zero put his hands on his hips and looked around. He noticed unwashed dishes in the sink, opened cereal package left on the table and an unchosen tie hanging on the sofa's back rest. Everything they had hurriedly done in the morning only two days ago were visible.

 _"_ _What's your plan?" Zero asked a bowl of cereal in his hands as Jude rushed from the shower, wearing only towel around his waist. Zero watched as he discarded that too and started to pull his trousers on, enjoying the view._

 _"_ _I'll go straight at work. The meeting starts…" Jude looked at his wristwatch. "…in an hour. In two, I promised to meet Lionel." Jude turned around as he was fastening his belt. "You?" He asked and put on his blouse._

 _"_ _Practice." Zero answered between mouthfuls of his breakfast. "Then we have a meeting where Pete tries to get everyone's attention before the big game. You'll be there, right?"_

 _"_ _Sure." Jude said without looking at him. He was staring between two ties, trying to decide which one to wear._

 _"_ _That one." Zero said and pointed his spoon towards the dark blue with white stripes._

 _"_ _This?" Jude lifted it and Zero nodded. "Thanks." He quickly put it on. Hands skillfully tying it. Zero wished he knew how to do that so easily but he guessed it was enough if only one of the other knew how to do it properly._

 _"_ _Thanks. I got to run." Jude put his suit coat on and walked to Zero. He gave him a quick kiss on the lips. "I'll be watching you." Jude added with a wink, referring to the coming game, and he walked out._

 _Zero stared after him for a moment but got dragged back to reality when a spoonful of cereal dropped to his trousers. He had forgotten to put in his mouth when Jude had kissed him. Zero cursed and went to clean it up._

Zero felt exhaustion hit him and he dragged himself to the bedroom. He slumped to the Jude's side of the bed. Every muscle on his body ached. Slowly he took his trousers off and slid under the covers. He lowered his head onto the pillow and breathed in the smell of Jude and sex they had in that morning, which caused them to be late in the first place.

 _Zero woke up as Jude traced patterns around his bellybutton. He pretended to sleep until Jude's hand started to go even lower and he couldn't help but smile._

 _"_ _I knew you were awake." Zero felt a huff of breath against his ear as Jude laughed. He then opened his eyes to look at Jude: there were imprint from the pillow on his cheek and his hair were sticking all around and Zero couldn't help but think that he was the most beautiful man in the world._

 _"_ _You're handsome, you know that, right?" He didn't plan on saying it aloud but he had become used to the idea that he couldn't control all his actions and words around Jude. And it was totally worth it when Jude looked embarrassedly away and smiled. Jude shut Zero up, however, when he wrapped his hand around his cock._

 _"_ _You were saying?" Jude teased Zero, completely aware how much the other man enjoyed as his hand traveled along his length._

 _"…_ _and sexy." Zero breathed out and pulled Jude to a kiss. He rolled them around so he was on top and leaned against Jude, knowing that the man could take his weight. They enjoyed the feeling of their bodies pressed together before Zero started to kiss his way down on Jude's chest._

 _Jude reached for the bedside table and took a tube of lube from the drawer. He tossed it to the bed near his hips were Zero was now. Zero grinned up at him before taking the lube and starting to work on Jude._

 _Jude moaned silently and let his head drop back to the pillows. He looked up at the ceiling and his vision blurred whenever Zero hit a right spot. Zero knew when he was doing it right since Jude's body tensed momentarily every now and then. When it became more frequent, Zero traveled back up again._

 _"_ _Turn to your side." Zero said as he was facing Jude. The man did as he was told and turned to his right side. Zero slid behind him and started to kiss Jude's neck and shoulder, adjusting himself to a better position at the same time. "You comfortable?" He asked when settled on letting Jude lean his head against his arm and wrapping the other around his chest._

 _"_ _Yeah." Jude nodded and looked over his shoulder. He took hold of Zero's neck and pulled him forward for a kiss. Zero entered him slowly, knowing full well how Jude enjoyed it and he watched, mesmerized, how Jude's eyes closed and how he bit his lower lip. Zero let out of a moan as well when he started to move inside Jude._

Zero closed his eyes and muffled the sob that escaped his mouth to the pillow.

* * *

Zero woke up to the light shining from the window. He hadn't remembered to close the curtains. Subconsciously he reached out for Jude but his hand found only cold air and it fell from the side of the bed. It stirred him up completely and he realized he was still curled up on Jude's side. Zero reached for the nightstand, searching for the clock. He managed to knock it down with a loud thud before he was able to take hold of it. It took him a moment to actually understand what time it was. But when he did, he sighed in relief. The visiting hours wouldn't start until another hour, which gave him enough time to get ready.

* * *

Lionel had been chased from Jude's side last night when the visiting hours ended. She hadn't slept well but if she was honest with herself, she had done a hell of a good job at hiding the tiredness with make-up.

Jude had started to breath on his own late last night and the respirator had been taken away and replaced by an oxygen mask. Lionel wished she could've told Zero the good news but last night Oscar seemed to follow her every move so she had tried to keep the call as short as possible.

As she walked into the room she half expected to see Jude awake and greeting her with a tired smile, but he was still sleeping. The doctors said it was a good thing that he rested and collected his strength and he was still in high pain medication. But she couldn't help feeling disappointed. She missed their conversations.

"Morning Jude!" She still chirped as she went and gave him a kiss onto his cheek. "I bought a piece of that delicious looking chocolate cake from the bakery we went last week. For myself, sorry, but the doctors said that you can't eat anything solid for a while. I hope it fills my expectations. I promise I won't eat it under your eyes." She sat down and looked at Jude. There were no reaction. She sighed and looked around for something to do but the only entertainment were the changing numbers in the monitors and the TV. She settled for TV.

Heather arrived after noon. She had stayed in a hotel last night. She looked as weary as Lionel felt right now. They watched television together, exchanging only few words.

It wasn't long after when someone entered the room. Lionel was surprised to see Zero walk in. He was wearing a different shirt than yesterday, which indicated he had at least been home and changed before coming to the hospital.

Lionel was just about to ask him whether Pete had paid him out when Zero interrupted her by asking how Jude was. She didn't bother to answer, however, when Zero spotted Heather. His expression told more than a million words: who the hell is she?

"Heather, this is Zero. Zero this is Heather, Jude's mother." Lionel smiled to Zero's expression as she waved her hand between them. Zero's eyes shot towards her immediately when she said the word 'mother'. He looked like a teenage boyfriend who wasn't ready to meet his mother-in-law.

"And you are?" Heather asked from Zero, who frowned at her.

"Zero's the star basketball player in L. ." Lionel said but realized it didn't say anything to her by the blank expression she had.

"Oh, I don't really follow basketball. Sorry." Heather smiled politely to Zero. "But I did thought you looked familiar somewhere."

Neither Lionel nor Zero couldn't believe their ears when she said that. The woman really didn't follow basketball, let alone her son's career… or life for that matter. Zero and Jude's relationship had been all over the sports news when they had come out as a couple.

"So are you Jude's work colleague?" Heather asked and Zero looked at Lionel for guidance.

"Look at the time!" Lionel pretended to look at her watch. "I should get something to eat. I'll bring you both coffees from the cafeteria." She quickly picked up her purse and tiptoed out.

Zero cleared his throat and tried to think some decent way to tell his relations to Jude. "I umm…" He stuttered and prayed that Jude would wake up at that instant. Then a thought occurred to him: why was he so nervous telling this woman he loved her son? It wasn't like he owned anything to her, besides Jude had barely even mentioned her. "I'm Jude's boyfriend." He eventually blurted out and waited for her reaction.

Heather seemed surprised and looked between Jude and Zero. "I didn't even know…" Instead of disgust or shock Zero had been expecting, she looked sad. "I didn't know he was gay." She finally said and smiled at Zero but it didn't quite reach her eyes.

"I'm not surprised." Zero said and sat at the chair Lionel had occupied just a minute ago. "He hasn't been out for that long." He nearly added that after all Jude never even contacts her, but managed to swallow it down.

"But I should've known. Mother should always know." Heather sighed and then she smiled at him. "How long have you been together?"

Zero was put back by the question and his mind started to ponder from which moment he would calculate for them being together. "Nearly three months." He decided on to the moment he had kissed Jude on the courtside.

"You're still in the early state when the other seems perfect in every way." Heather sounded nostalgic and she gazed at Jude.

Zero smiled and shook his head. "We've known each other over a year now. I don't think Jude's perfect, but I still…" He fell silent. It wasn't like him to tell anyone else how he felt about Jude, but Heather seemed to catch up with his unspoken words and she nodded in understanding.

"I'm glad to hear that. I haven't been a very good mother to Jude lately. I've been busy with my husband and once you put off contacting, you find yourself unable to just pick up the phone and call."

Zero wasn't sure what to think of the woman. He had always pictured Jude's mother a kind soul, from whom Jude had inherited his caring nature. But this woman seemed distant and warm at the same time. Zero had no feelings towards her. He didn't particularly hate her, since he had no idea about her and Jude's past nor did he feel sympathy towards her. Zero knew she had neglected her son at some point but nowhere near as much as Oscar had.

"How did you two meet?" Heather asked then, clearly curious about her son's life.

"Jude was my agent when I moved back to L.A." Zero answered vaguely, not really wanting to discuss their relationship with her.

"Oh, yeah. Is he still your agent?" She remembered Jude mentioning that at some point.

"No." Zero felt angry by even thinking about Lucas, which he was still trying to get rid of, but it seemed they still hadn't found a replacement for the cocksucker. But it didn't matter anymore, when Jude woke up he would become his agent again.

Heather seemed to get his unwillingness to reply, so she changed the subject. "If you want my help of getting Oscar convicted, I'll do anything. I won't let him get away for hurting my son." She said with determination which reminded Zero of Jude, who was able to summon great strength to protect the ones he cared about.

"I appreciate it but right now there's nothing, I can think about, that you could do." Zero said. He had been thinking about how to get Oscar responsible of what he had done but his overwhelmed mind hadn't come up with nothing.

"I understand. Even though being a single mother has been the hardest time of my life, I'll never regret leaving Oscar. I felt like he managed to corrupt Jude, even when he saw his son only couple times a year." Zero heard sincerity in Heather's voice as she looked at Jude while she talked. For a while they just stared at his sleeping form. Then Heather looked at the watch and started to gather her things. "My train leaves in less than an hour. I have to go." She was about to walk out but then turned around. "Please, tell Jude I was here. And if something happens…"

"I'll be in contact." Zero agreed but he wasn't sure if he truly meant it. He thought it was Jude's decision to make.

"Thank you, Zero. My husband will return in the evening and I promised to be home." Heather hesitated. She looked like she wanted to come and hug Jude, but decided not to. "It was good to meet you."

* * *

Zero spent the day changing between different positions, just staring at Jude. He had gotten the color back to his face and Zero hoped he would wake up soon. He wanted to be there when he did. Lionel had brought him bread and coffee several times. At four p.m. she had to leave to meet with Oscar. She didn't want him to know that she spent her time at the hospital.

"I told him yesterday that I had to visit my sister so I could be by Jude's side. If he had only known I haven't spoken to her in ten years." Lionel had said before leaving. Zero hoped that Oscar didn't read gossip magazines.

The first time Zero noticed something was wrong when one of the machines, which told Jude's breathing frequency started to alarm more than usual. After it went on for the third time in the past fifteen minutes, one nurse decided to stay in the room. Zero had asked what was wrong but she had only smiled and said it was probably nothing but the doctor would come and check Jude out anyway.

Zero had to listen to the ear piercing sound go on and off for the next half an hour before the doctor had the decency to arrive. He was just listening Jude's lungs when the alarm sounded again, but this time it didn't stop. All hell broke loose; the doctor started to bark orders and the nurse drove Zero out of the room, ignoring his protestation. Soon another nurse walked pass him and entered the room. Zero tried to have a glimpse at what was going on but he didn't have a time to see anything when the door was slammed shut.

"Zero, what's going on?" Lionel walked towards him. She stopped on her tracks when she saw the look on Zero's face. "What's happened?" She asked again, this time demanding his answer.

* * *

It could've been only a quarter, but to Zero it felt like hours, until the doctor asked them to come back inside. Zero hurried to Jude's side, relieved beyond words to see him alive.

"Jude's capability of breathing weakened rapidly. We have to install the respirator back. We're still going to take some tests but it seems Jude has gotten pneumonia." The doctor, whose name Zero couldn't remember, not that he even cared, explained. It took all Zero's willpower to concentrate on what he was saying. "Normally for a man at his age and physical state, it wouldn't be dangerous but at the state Jude's other lung is right now, it doesn't look good."

"What do you mean?" Lionel asked, walking closer to the doctor, as if he wouldn't tell her the truth if she didn't try to intimidate him. Zero unconsciously took Jude's hand on his, trying to prepare himself for the bad news.

"We have to keep him unconscious until the pneumonia cures, but I'm afraid he's hanging on a threat until we find the right antibiotic." The doctor fumbled with his hands while speaking, clearly hating to break the news.

"You mean… Jude could die?" Lionel's face went pale, even though it was hard to notice from behind the foundation on her face.

"That's very probable. We will give you unlimited visiting hours, of course." The doctor said it as if it could fix everything.

Lionel turned towards Zero, who was unnaturally quiet. He had taken a step back from Jude's bed and was looking at his boyfriend like he could draw his last breath in any second. She saw only terror in his eyes, like the whole world was crumbling around him. "Zero?" She stepped forward and tried to reach out to him but the man didn't even look at her before turning and almost running out of the room. She tried to call after him but in vain.


	7. Breaking boundaries

Zero's car was waiting for him as he made his way to the underground parking lot. He drove out a little faster than necessary. His feet pressed even harder to the gas pedal when the reporters, who had been lurking outside again, started to take pictures of him. They shouted questions too, Zero he couldn't hear them.

He didn't know where he was heading. He just drove. Eventually he stopped in a middle of a residential district. Zero didn't turn off the car, he just stared in front of himself. He was still squeezing the steering wheel so hard that his knuckles had turned white.

"Fuck!" He suddenly yelled to the darkness of the night and hit the wheel with his fist. "Fuck! Fuck! Fuck!" He kept on hitting until he felt tears burn his eyes. Zero forced himself to calm down. He took a deep breath and leaned his head to his hands.

Zero knew what would help him. What had helped him when he was a kid and what had helped him when he was a teenager. So he found himself in the middle of the playground, under the jumbo screen. There were only dim lighting and he couldn't see the stand from there. Zero tossed his jacket to the side of the court. His eyes fixated on a lonely basketball on the floor. He picked it up and swirled it in his hands. He targeted to the basket and threw. The ball sank easily. He fetched it and bounced the ball against the floor a few times. He threw it again, and again, and again, and again. After twenty, or so, successful throws, Zero lifted the ball as high as he was able to and threw it to the floor with all his strength. The ball bounced off with a loud bang and flew with a high arch to the stand. He left it there.

* * *

The next morning Zero parked his car in front of the hospital, but he didn't get out. Throughout the morning, he had been going over the doctor's words. Gideon in him, wanted to get up there and be by Jude's side but Zero… Zero screamed inside his head to run. With every passing minute he felt his throat tighten and his stomach twist. Eventually he turned the car key and drove away.

He drove to an expensive neighborhood and stopped in front of a large house. The gates were closed but Zero knew how to get through. Not so long ago he had walked down this road with Jude by his side. Even back then he had wanted to reach out and take Jude's hand on his, but his insecurities had stopped him. He regretted it now.

* * *

Oscar Kinkade couldn't hide the surprise from his face as Zero strolled in. He looked behind the player to see if the security guard was following him but he was nowhere to be seen.

"Zero! I didn't expect to see you here." Oscar leaned back in his chair and tried to figure out the fastest way to escape if the situation erupted.

Zero didn't say anything and just sat down to the other side of the desk. He looked around the room and closed his eyes for a minute. "Look, Oscar, lets cut the crap and get straight to the point: things have gone to shit after you left at the arena and I think…" Zero grinned. "…I think that it's time for Kinkade's to step up again."

Oscar lifted his eyebrows and for a moment just stared at him. "What exactly do you mean?" He visibly relaxed and leaned towards Zero.

"I mean that Jelena has no idea how to run things and because our history…" Zero made a pained face. "…she want to trade me out and I'm not gonna have that."

"Really?" Oscar frowned and drummed the table with his hand. "It seems to me that you're only trying to get me to trust you. I don't kid myself and think that no one blames me for what happened to Jude." He locked his gaze at Zero, desperately wanting to see his reaction to his statement.

Zero just laughed smugly and nodded. "Let me be straight with you." He looked back at Oscar. "I really don't think you have anything to do with Jude's shooting and I don't really care who did it. However there's a little but…"

"Yes?" Oscar's stare was like no others. He could really get under your skin and as most people looked away after just a few seconds, Zero didn't.

"Now I'm the main suspect for shooting him." Zero sneered and rub his hands together. "I don't know if I should tell you this, since you're his father and all…"

"Go ahead." Oscar said way too quickly.

"From the moment I first met Jude, I realized he would do anything for me. That's why I came to L.A. and that's why I… kept close distance with him. He got me far and I wanted to see how far he could get me. Now it seems... he's not able to get me any further. So I sat down and thought to myself: who could help me with the situation with Jelena and I knew you're the only man to the job." Zero finished his speech with a hard stare at Oscar. The man was impossible to read but slowly a smile spread into his face.

"So I presume that you have some kind of idea of what to do with her?" Oscar was testing him, wanting to know exactly what Zero was made of.

"Of course I do." Zero answered right away.

* * *

After meeting with Oscar, Zero went back to the arena for practice. It lasted for three hours, but he stayed after that and continued till the evening. After he took a quick shower, he headed towards Jelena's office.

He couldn't help but notice that the name Kinkade still stood on the door. Zero smiled. He was just about to get in when the door was opened and Jelena almost ran into him. She quickly stepped back when she recognized him.

"What do you want?" Jelena asked with a bitter voice. She looked around to see if anyone else was around.

"Just dropped by to tell you that the Kinkade's aren't out of the game yet." Zero bended his knees a little so he could look better at Jelena's reaction.

"So your boyfriend is recovering? So what? He's no threat to me." Jelena slammed the door shut behind her and she pushed past Zero and started to walk away.

"I wasn't talking about Jude!" Zero shouted after her and smiled when he noticed that her pace had slowed down. "I just had a little chat with Oscar."

Jelena didn't stop or turn around but Zero could see her whole body tense before she quickly carried on.

"But since you mentioned Jude: he's the main owner of the Devil girls now!" Zero grinned when Jelena turned around and he swore her face would be pale as ash if it wasn't for the make-up that covered it. "You still think he's no threat to you?"

Jelena opened her mouth to say something but instead turned around and almost ran around the corner.

"I hope you know what you got yourself into!" Zero yelled after her. "You've lost your only ally in the whole world." Zero referred to Terrance. Jude had once pointed out that Jelena made a big mistake by stabbing him to the back and Zero couldn't have agreed more.

The game, which had been cut off from the middle at the day of the shooting, was supposed to be held again the next day. So it was only natural for all of the players to spend the day in the arena and Zero didn't stood out from the others. Pete asked about his wellbeing, which he had done yesterday in practise too and it was really starting to piss Zero off. Yes, he probably looked more tired than the others, but it didn't mean that he couldn't do his job. Still, much to Zero's disappointment, Pete decided to put him on bench for the first round. He had protested but it had gone to deaf ears. Zero hated to be on the bench. He had too much time to think and he didn't want to think. As the second half time came Zero quickly caught up with Pete before he could get into the locker rooms.

"Let me play." He demanded right away and Pete just shook his head.

"You look like shit, Zero. You've been working like a maniac for the last two days. I won't let you go out there and ruin the game. We need to win!" Pete pointed a demanding finger at him. He was about to keep on walking but Zero took hold of his arm.

"Please, I need to play!" Zero didn't plead. He never pled but right at the moment he couldn't think straight. "I won't ruin anything. I just want to play."

Pete gave him a hard look but soon sighed and shrugged. "Okay, fine. But I'll take you off immediately if you seem out of it."

"You won't have to." Zero said even though the coach was half way through the door already. And Zero had been right: Pete didn't have to take him out. He had played like never before, scoring after another. The fans were going wild as they were one game closer to the finals.

* * *

Later that night the Devil's celebrated their victory and upcoming finals. At the same time was also Derek and Ahsha's engagement party. Zero had decided to skip it all but then he had realized it was his opportunity to prove that he was doing fine. So he went home, took a long shower and changed to a clean clothes. He tried to remember a last time he was in a party without Jude, but couldn't recall.

The music was playing loud as Zero walked in, fashionably late but no one seemed to notice. He strolled around for a bit, faked polite around Derek and Ahsha and congratulated them even though they could see right through him. At these time he truly noticed that he had no friends, expect for Jude. Sure, many dancers and even players were friendly at him, but he didn't care about them, not even the slightest.

Zero ended up to the bar and he drank. A lot. He had started innocently enough, with a beer, slowly drinking it. Then someone had offered him a shot and he had taken it, still not feeling any different. After that he had decided to drink something stronger but he felt even worst when he noticed the table where he and Jude had talked only few months before. So he drank a little more and soon lost count.

It was Lionel who came to shake him up when he had half passed out to the counter. "Zero! Zero, wake up!"

"Get lost." Zero growled and tried to push her away but almost fell from the barstool when he missed.

"I hope you haven't unraveled your darkest secrets to everyone." Lionel half joked and pulled Zero to his feet. "Come on! Let's go home."

"Home's were Jude is." Zero mumbled and Lionel had a hard time to hear what he said. She had to use all her strength to keep him upwards.

"Sorry, I can't take you to him when you're at this state. The nurses would kick you to a stomach lavage in a second." Lionel knew Zero wasn't listening to what she was saying but it didn't matter. The exit didn't seem to get any closer and Zero was getting heavier by the minute.

"Let me help." Pete came to Zero's other side and took his hand around his shoulder.

"Thanks." Lionel said and the journey didn't seem so long anymore.

"Anytime." Pete smiled as they now almost dragged Zero onwards.

Near the exit Zero suddenly looked up. "Hey, this's where I had sex with Jude…" He pointed towards the closet with the hand which was over Pete's shoulder.

"Okay, too much information." Pete quickly took hold of Zero's swaying hand and pushed them forward.

"I would've liked to visit there…" Zero pouted as they dragged him outside. "Maybe Jude would've been there."

"Make sure he never drinks again." Lionel huffed to Pete as they finally got Zero to her car.

"I'll try to." Pete answered. He looked at Zero who was now staring at the car with a frown on his face, like he didn't quite know where he was sitting. "Are you going to be okay with him?"

"Hey, this isn't Jude's car!" Zero suddenly yelled and tried to get up. Thankfully the seatbelts stopped him. "Where's Jude?"

"Yeah, I've dealt with worse." Lionel gave Pete a sad smile before she walked to the driver's side. "Hands off the wheel!" She slapped Zero's arms as he tried to reach for the steering wheel.

Pete watched worriedly as they drove off. If the situation would continue at the same rate, Zero would not be able to play in the finals.

* * *

Zero woke up to the worst hangover he had ever had. His head felt like it was going to explode and he almost fainted when he stood up from the bed. He took support from the wall, kicking something over in his way to the bathroom. Amazingly, he managed to throw up into the toilet.

Zero sighed and wiped the vomit from his beard. He fumbled to the sink and caught his reflection on the mirror: his skin was pale, he had dark circles around his eyes and his beard had grown a little too much for his liking.

"When was the last time you ate?"

Zero startled when he heard Lionel's voice from the bathroom door. "What are you doing here?" He opened the tap and splashed cold water over his face and neck.

"I brought you here last night. You were just a tiny bit drunk at the party." Zero hated her sarcastic voice.

It took him a moment to even remember what she was talking about. The last thing he remembered was the third shot and then it was all black.

"Could you answer to my question?" Lionel interrupted his reminiscence.

"What?" Zero looked up at her.

"The fridge is empty… or more like full of spoiled food. When did you eat last time?" She threw a fresh towel at him. "Take a shower."

"I can't remember." Zero finally answered after his brains had processed her question. He really couldn't remember what he had eaten and when. "It doesn't matter."

"Of course it does! You can't play without food." Lionel crossed her arms around her chest.

Zero just shrugged. He looked at the towel and then at Lionel. "Can I get some privacy?"

Lionel rolled her eyes. "I thought you don't mind women staring at your body." She said before she was able to stop herself. Dragging old things from the past wasn't her intention.

"What did you say?" Zero raised his voice but he immediately regretted it when his head started to pound.

"Nothing. It was uncalled from me." Lionel apologized and it actually sounded like she meant it. "I'm just a little mad that's all. I'll get you to breakfast when you're done."

Zero just shook his head and was about to start undressing as Lionel turned her back on him, but stopped when she spoke out.

"Why haven't you visited him?" Lionel looked at him a little too accusing for Zero's taste.

"That's no concern of yours." He looked around to have something else to concentrate on than her.

"I think it is. You remember what I told you back at your out coming party?" Lionel crossed her arms around her chest and tried to stare Zero down, but Zero had none of it.

"Are you accusing me of something? Because I have done nothing to hurt Jude." Zero didn't want the anger to show in his voice but he couldn't keep it down.

"I trusted you would protect him!" Lionel seemed to be at the same state as Zero since she almost yelled the words. "Instead you let Jude run around Oscar's apartment, making threats to him."

Zero pressed his lips together and said nothing. Instead he grabbed the towel and walked past Lionel towards the bedroom.

Lionel saw that Zero was angry, but then a thought accured to her. "You're not angry at yourself or to me, you're angry at him." Her statement made Zero freeze to his tracks.

Zero tried to will his legs to move forward but all the emotions kept running through his mind and his body refused to co-operate with him.

"Why?" Lionel asked then, again with the accusing voice.

"Because he didn't have to!" Zero hadn't meant to yell. "Why did he have to cross Oscar? He knew what the man was capable of! He could've just let it be! We could've just been. So yes! I'm angry at him!" He hadn't meant to tell that to Lionel. Hell, he hadn't even thought about it himself before, but the moment he said it, he knew it was true. They were talking about Jude after all.

Zero glanced at Lionel. All the emotions were there for her to see and Zero hated it. So he quickly turned around and slammed the bedroom door shut.

* * *

Zero poked the baked egg around the plate with his fork. Lionel watched the motion with a frown.

"Just eat it." She eventually ordered and Zero glared at her.

"If you didn't know: hangover and egg breakfast doesn't fit together." He still poked the fork through the egg and ate it. The taste made him want to puke but he managed to keep it down.

"Did you know why I came to see you to the engagement party?" Lionel then asked and took a sip from her coffee.

"No, why?" Zero didn't sound at least bit of interested.

"The police became to look for Oscar last night." She said and smiled when Zero's eyes shot up at her. "They found Jude's blood on the shirt I gave them. They were going to arrest him."

"Damn." Zero leaned back in his chair and looked outside. It was sunny, he hoped he had his sunglasses with him. "So how did Oscar react?" He then asked and turned to look at Lionel again.

Her smile faded and she put the empty coffee mug to the table. "That's the down part on this. He's nowhere to be found. He didn't come home last night."

"So he's on a run?" Zero felt nervous all of a sudden. "Is someone with Jude?" Lionel looked up at him and he suddenly felt exposed, like his walls had gone down for a moment and he quickly collected them.

"There's the police officer but I think his dumber than he looks so Ahsha and Derek are visiting him right now. I asked them a little favor and to stay with him until I get back." She hated to do that, but for Jude she was willing to make an exception. Lionel studied Zero for a while before concentrating on her nails. "Do you have any place I could stay in?" She then whispered so Zero almost missed it. She then leaned forward so no one else could hear them. "I'm afraid to sleep in Oscar's house. That's why I stayed at your place last night. He definitely knows that I took the shirt since he's avoiding the police. I feel like I'm being watched…" Lionel looked around as if she could catch someone looking at them.

Zero looked around too but no one seemed to pay them any attention, everyone else concentrated on their breakfasts. But he understood where she was coming from. Oscar wasn't a man who should be taken lightly. "I know a place. If you have everything you need with you, I can take you there." A relieved smiled spread on Lionel's face. "But I should warn you: it's not very cozy."

"As long as it's somewhere where Oscar doesn't think to look." Lionel smiled but her smile faded soon…

"This is it?" She looked around the place, visibly horrified.

"This is it." Zero walked further inside and leaned against the couch. "I know it's a dump but I'm pretty sure this is the last place Oscar's going to look for you."

Lionel tiptoed inside, keeping her purse close to her body as if someone could jump at her from any direction. "But it's a…" She didn't find words to describe how horrible the apartment was. "No one's been living here in years." The floor was covered in dust and windows were so dirty you could hardly see through them. "And what are these?" Lionel stopped and gaped at a huge whole on the wall.

"That's umm… demolition in progress." Zero said and looked towards the sledgehammer which leaned against the wall.

"Did you say you and Jude bought this place?" If the situation had been anything else, Zero would've laughed at her expression.

"Actually we bought the whole building. Renovate it, you know." Zero saw that she didn't know.

Eventually Lionel stayed, reluctantly of course but since hotels and Jude's place were not an option, she had no other choice until they could find her some kind of rental apartment.

* * *

"The visiting hours are over."

"Can't I just pop by? Just for a second?" Zero felt like slamming his fist to the counter but managed to control himself. The receptionist just shook his head and apologized. "But the doctor said…"

"The doctor hasn't wrote down anything in particular for that matter."

Zero felt like his head was about to explode and he finally slammed the counter with one hand, making the receptionist jump in his chair. Zero went back outside and took a deep breath. He knew going in from the main entrance was a mistake. The idiot didn't let him pass to the ward, but all the other doors had been locked already.

Zero cursed to himself. His whole body was aching for the lack of one person he missed the most. He looked around and was just about deciding to climb to the roof and try his luck that way, when he noticed an ambulance a short distance away. He looked around if anyone was watching before walking swiftly towards it. The paramedics were just wheeling the delirious patient through the door and Zero sneaked in behind them. As he had guessed, no one paid him any attention. The paramedics kept on going and soon a nurse and a doctor joined them to ask some questions. Zero followed them for a little while before noticing a door leading to a staircase. He quickly slipped in and let the door shut behind him.

The room was dark when Zero entered it. He didn't even look for a light switch as he didn't want to cause unnecessary attention. Zero slowly walked towards the furthest bed. There were one other patient in the room, but he didn't pay the man any attention.

For a moment Zero just watched Jude as he slept. He was breathing with the support of the respirator but still Zero could hear how difficult it was: with every exhalation there was agonizing rasping sound.

"Hi." Zero whispered and took Jude's hand on his. He hadn't talked with Jude since he had passed out on him in the car. He had tried once when he had been alone with him, but it hadn't felt right. Lionel did it all the time, but to Zero it had felt stupid and meaningless, Jude couldn't hear him anyway, right?

Now things were different. Zero hadn't visited Jude for two days and the man he loved was giving up and there was nothing he could do about it, except talk. "I'm sorry I haven't been able to visit you. Been busy, you know?" His own voice sounded hoarse and strange. He took a moment to swallow and gather his thoughts. "Please, don't leave me, Jude." Zero's voice broke but he quickly gathered himself. He took a deep breath and wiped his eyes into the sleeve of his hoodie. He sniffled and the sound seemed awfully loud in the silent room.

For a while Zero just played with Jude's hand. At one point he almost swore that he had felt Jude's fingers twist but the feeling was gone in a second. Zero stood there through most of the night. When there were only three hours until the practice started, he reluctantly left.

Zero didn't want to go home to an empty apartment. There were nothing for him there and driving calmed his mind. So he drove for the next hour. After that his eyes started to feel heavy and he went to the arena a little earlier than usual. He had time to practice just fine before the others came.


	8. For significant other

NOTE: I have updated chapter 7 (29.7), so please check it before reading this one!

* * *

Zero was walking towards the locker rooms when a Jude's secretary stopped him: "Mister Zero! There's a phone call for you." She led him to Jude's office.

"Zero." He answered cautiously.

"Zero! You're a though man to get in contact with." Zero froze when he heard Oscar's voice from the other end of the line. He closed his eyes and forced all the feelings that boiled inside him to settle down.

"Oscar! What can I do for you?" Zero smiled even though the man couldn't see him, but it helped him to focus. He often forgot that he had no phone anymore and to his surprise he didn't even miss it.

"I was wondering if you could do me a little favor." Oscar sounded to be on guard.

"Anything you need." Zero had to fight himself to keep the disgust out of his voice. He wanted to ask where Oscar was now, but he didn't want to raise the man's suspicions.

"Could you send a message to Terrence for me?" Zero frowned. The request wasn't something he had expected.

"Sure. Fire away." He leaned against the edge of Jude's desk, careful not to knock down his paperwork.

"Could you tell him that my patience is running out and I need him to make a choice?" Zero expected there to be something more but Oscar fell silent.

"That's all?" He couldn't help but ask.

"That's all. You think you can get that done?" Oscar sounded a little irritated now and Zero knew he shouldn't push it anymore.

"Sure, but can I ask why you aren't calling straight to him?" He asked and there was a short silence at the other end of the line.

"I think he's avoiding me." Oscar answered shortly before hanging up.

* * *

Zero saw Terrence at the locker rooms but he didn't want to confront him until they were somewhere where no one else could hear them. The opportunity revealed itself in the middle of their practice when Pete called the team to the side of the court. Terrence had been watching over the practice from the opposite side and Zero was just passing him by. He quickly ensured that all the others were heading towards Pete before walking to Terrence.

"Oscar send you a message." Zero said with a low voice.

Terrence turned towards Zero with alarmed expression. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Lower you voice or do you want everyone to hear what I have to say?" Zero hissed at him and Terrence crossed his arms around his chest to calm himself but he kept looking towards Zero like he could launch himself at him at any second. "He said he's patience is running out and he wants you to make a choice." Zero told the message and judging by Terrence's reaction, it seemed he was close to something bigger than he had originally thought.

Terrence swallowed and seemed to pounder the message for a while. "Why did he contact you?" He then asked and turned to look at Zero.

"Let's just say I'm retaking what's mine." Zero smirked at him and then ran to join the others.

Terrence stared after Zero for a while, chewing on his cheek. He knew what his choice was going to be but it didn't mean it was an easy one.

* * *

The next day at practice everyone seemed to concentrate on talking about Oscar. The police had informed that they wished to get any hints of his whereabouts. So it was natural for all of them to start gossiping.

"Okay guys, let's focus!" Pete walked in and clapped his hands together to get their attention. "The game tonight defines if we're on the finals or not, so be sharp!"

Zero couldn't even remember when was the last time he had concentrated on playing as much as he did that day. His mind was one hundred and ten percent focused on it. During the game he made most of the scores. Pete was overwhelmed with joy and he shouted encouraging words every time Zero touched the ball. They were already in clear advance after the first round and the challenger team had no change on gaining up to them.

When the game ended all their fans went crazy and not without a reason: they made it to the finals. Yet again.

* * *

Zero didn't stay to celebrate this time. He left quickly after changing clothes. Lionel had asked him to pick her up. She had seen a cockroach in the bathroom and now that everyone seemed to know Oscar was searched by the police, she wanted to go to a hotel. She had also added that she would rather take her changes with Oscar than stay there even for a minute longer than necessary. Zero thought she was being a little overdramatic, but since Jude always looked after her, Zero felt like it was now his responsibility to do so now.

He had just passed the reporters and was heading towards his car when he stopped to this tracks when someone called his name:

"Gideon?"

Zero quickly turned towards the voice and saw a young woman standing a few feet away from him. He frowned and looked her up and down, knowing who she was but too afraid to ask.

Eventually he swallowed and asked: "Laura?"

The woman smiled instantly and she took a step closer. "You recognized me." She almost shouted but quickly calmed down. "Long time no seen." She said then and Zero couldn't help but smile back at her.

"You've… you've become so… feminine." Zero didn't know what else to say.

"Thanks. You're as good with compliments as you were in the old days." Laura huffed and pretended to be offences but soon laughed. "It seems to me you've become bigger."

Zero just shook his head in disbelief. This was his year older sister who he hasn't seen in over ten years, standing in front of him and they were acting like little kids again.

"Look at you." Laura said then. "I always knew you were great at basketball, but this great? Not a change." She shook her head in disbelief.

"I think I showed them." Zero said with a playful tone but Laura's smile faded. They both knew who he was referring to and how serious he really was. "Look, let's catch up somewhere more private, okay?"

* * *

Zero drove her to his and Jude's house. She told in the way how she had tried to get in contact with him for years now, making Zero a little ashamed that he hadn't even thought about it until Jude had encouraged him to find her.

"I thought you would be living… I don't know, a little luxuriously by now." Laura said as she looked around the place.

"Well, this isn't actually my place." He said and felt his throat tighten. "But this is home to me." He forced the last words out of his mouth and went to fetch some water.

"What do you mean?" Laura asked. She had stopped in front of the fireplace, examining Zero's playing shirt above it. Zero was sure she thought he was some kind of self-centered egoist these days, or maybe he had always been, or at least had been before he met Jude.

Zero thought for a moment what to answer to her. He couldn't remember what she thought about gay people when she was younger but he decided to be honest with her. But just when he was about to tell her about Jude, he noticed she had picked a picture in her hands. It was quite a new photo of him and Jude in his out coming party.

"Is this your boyfriend?" She asked and grinned. "He looks even better in this picture than in TV."

"You recognize him?" He asked and Laura turned to look at him with a frown on her face.

"How do you think I found you in the first place? No one could possible escape a picture of a first ever out basketball player. I recognized you from the photos and news, or at least I thought I did at the time. So I did a little internet search and after finding out you only used the name 'Zero', I was pretty sure you were my brother." Laura carefully put the photo back where she had taken it. Zero thought about Jude's mother but didn't mention her.

"Then why find me only now? I came out months ago." Zero searched the cabinets for something to drink. Something little stronger than water.

"I…" Laura paused for a moment. "I wasn't sure if you wanted to see me." She confessed and looked a little embarrassed. "I mean you had built an amazing career and clearly moved on so I thought you didn't want me to mess it." Zero couldn't help but laugh. "Why are you laughing?" Laura asked a little offended.

"No, sorry, I just used to think the same thing when I heard about you." Zero found a bottle of red wine and poured it into two ordinary glasses.

"You knew where I was?" Laura walked to him and accepted the wine he offered.

"I paid someone to find you. It was Jude's idea." He confessed and took a first sip from the wine.

Laura smiled and nodded. "I like him already. So where is this Jude you're talking about? Is he at work?" She sat by the kitchen counter and looked curiously at her brother.

Zero looked down at his feet, his mood changing immediately. "He's gone" He answered simply and took a little longer swig from the glass. It seemed Laura hadn't checked up the latest news about him.

"What do you mean? Did you guys break up or something?" Laura stirred uncomfortably.

"It would be better if I just showed you." Zero answered and put the wineglass down.

* * *

The visiting hours were over before they reached the hospital but this time Zero was let through to the ward. They walked silently through the corridors and the nurses greeted them as they passed by. Outside Jude's room the police officer was sleeping like a log. They passed him quietly.

"Laura, this is Jude." Zero said as they entered the room. Laura walked cautiously towards the bed and looked sadly at the unconscious man lying there. "Jude, meet my older sister, Laura." He said then but got no response.

"Oh, Gideon, I'm so sorry. What happened to him?" Laura looked up to her brother who just shook his head.

"He was shot. The police arrested his dad." Zero wasn't looking at Laura but could feel her stunned gaze on him.

"He was shot by his father? And I thought our family was dysfunctional. Sorry." She quickly added when she realized her last statement wasn't suitable for the situation. "What's wrong with him?"

"It's okay." Zero said with a tired voice. "He has a severe lung damage and pneumonia and possible brain damage."

"Dear god." Laura whispered and sat on the chair by the bed. "How are you doing?"

"Fine. I've been busy." Zero said a little too quickly to be convincing. He only then noticed a ring on Laura's left hand. "Are you engaged? Tell me about him… or her. I'm not narrow-minded, as you've probably noticed."

Laura laughed and unconsciously looked at her ring. "It is a man. Jeff. He's very kind and handsome. A lawyer, which means I don't have to worry about the money anymore" She winked at Zero.

"I guess we have a thing towards men in suits." Zero said lightly and they both laughed, but it died down soon. Zero gazed at Jude and felt his heart being squeezed. He quickly looked away. "We should go. The staff doesn't like if we hang out here through the whole night."

As they walked out, Zero kicked the leg of the officer's chair. The man starteled awake and fell fromt his seat. Zero wished he had learned his lesson. Next time he wasn't going to be responsible of his actions.

* * *

When they got back home, Zero notice the answering machine's light was blinking. The messages were usually for Jude and for a moment he considered just to let it pass, but eventually pressed the replay. An angry voice of Lionel's reached his ears and Zero made a face:

 _"_ _If you don't buy that new phone this instant, I swear to god I will get my car from Oscar's garage and drive it up your ass! I've seen so far three cockroaches, couple thousand spiders and something big which I don't even want to find out what it is, so get your bony ass up here and get me out!"_

"Who was she?" Laura asked a little shocked by the angry voicemail.

"A friend… sort of." Zero said and rubbed his neck. "I think I should go get her."

"Can I come with you?" Zero was half way through the door when she ran up to him.

Zero looked at her suspiciously. "Only if you promise me one thing." He said and Laura nodded eagerly. "Don't use my real name around anyone. Got it?"

"Got it!" Laura confirmed but soon frowned. "Doesn't even Jude know your real name?" She asked when they sat in the car.

"He's the only one, besides you." Zero answered and started the car.

* * *

Laura had a hard time to believe that Zero had actually bought the house they grew up in and she only stared at it solemnly. Zero glanced at her and sighed.

"You okay?" He asked when he noticed how pale she had become. Laura nodded but didn't say anything. "It was hard for me too to come here the first time." Zero confessed and looked towards the house, wishing Lionel would come out soon.

"Why did you buy it? If I lived in L.A., I would stay as far away as possible." Laura asked and fiddled with her ring.

Zero just shrugged. "I guess I wanted to make new, better memories here." It all felt bittersweet now when Zero sat in the car, looking at the house where he had planned to build their home and now Jude was in a hospital fighting for his life. "How long are you staying?" He changed the subject.

"I need to be home tomorrow." Laura seemed a little sad as she said that, but soon she smiled again. "I have my wedding dress fitting at noon." Zero smiled. "I've been meaning to ask you something." Laura started a little shyly.

"What?" Her voice got Zero worried.

Laura turned in her seat to face Zero properly. "Would you be the one to walk me down the aisle?"

At first Zero looked at her with dumbfound expression. Laura was sure he was going to turn her down, after all, they had only spent one evening together after ten years but then Zero smiled. "Of course! Why wouldn't I?"

"Thank you! You have no idea how worried I've been about that." Laura spontaneously hugged her brother. Zero awkwardly hugged her back and she quickly withdraw a little ashamed of the action. "Sorry, I got a little carried away. But that was actually the reason I came to see you."

Zero was just about to answer when the backdoor was opened and Lionel sat down with a loud sight. "I'm this close of getting your ass kicked." She huffed and brought her hand up to show the space between her index finger and thumb. Zero started to get a little worried of how interested Lionel was of his ass. "I swear to god I'll never be without a car when this is all over. Thankfully I found the sledgehammer. I managed to kill two of those cockroaches." Then she noticed Laura and Zero could see how horrified she was to see a strange woman in his car.

"It's not what you…" Zero started but Laura cut him off.

"Hi, I'm Laura, Gid… Zero's sister." She said and offered her hand to Lionel who shook it a little confused. Laura felt strange to call her brother Zero and had almost forgot her promise. Zero looked at her a little alarmed, like his real name was the world's biggest secret. She lifted her eyebrows at him to signal him to calm down.

* * *

Zero dropped Lionel in front of a five star hotel. Even though she had spent a whole night in that hellhole, she still managed to look as glamourous as ever. After that Zero drove Laura to the airport with a heavy heart.

"Next time you call me. I'll arrange you a private jet." Zero forced a grin to his lips and Laura looked at him with wide eyes.

"Really? Wow, you're rich! I should've looked you up sooner. You can rent a private jet but still you don't own a phone." Laura joked and patted Zero's knee. Then her smile faded. "Seriously, go buy that phone and call me if there's any change on Jude's condition."

"Okay." Zero agreed but it wasn't good enough for Laura.

"I mean it, Gideon. Promise me." She narrowed her eyes at him like she used to do when they were little as she scolded him.

"I promise." Zero raised his eyebrows and lifted up his hands in defeat. It was weird to hear her call him by his real name, but since Jude had used it, it didn't feel as strange as it probably would've felt half a year ago. "I'll see you at your wedding."

"You better." Laura climbed off the car and lifted her tiny backpack to her shoulders. "By, little bro!" She called and slammed the door shut. Zero stared after her a little longer before turning towards the arena.


	9. Calm mind

The finals were played two days after Laura had left. Zero had concentrated only to that, forgetting to buy that new phone he had promised to his sister. But it could wait, he had thought a night before the game.

Throughout the day, Zero felt the adrenaline run in his veins. He was twisty and tense. He couldn't wait to get to the court and into the action. But before that he had to sit down and listen Pete talk about their strategic against Ohio and what their weaknesses were. Zero knew he was supposed to listen, even though Ohio was his old team, but he found himself only wanting to play.

It was only half an hour before the game was supposed to start when Pete ordered them back to warm-up and when Derek, of all people, came to talk to him.

"Hey, you alright?" Derek had asked to Zero's surprise.

"What is it to you?" He had snapped at him. His wellbeing had nothing to do with Derek.

"It's just, you seemed out of it during Pete's coaching and you've been practicing every time I see you." Derek's voice was almost worried at first but then it turned stern and he crossed his arms around his chest. "So I want you to focus hundred percent on the game or you can leave now."

Zero narrowed his eyes at him. "I'm fine. And I'll give even more than that." He shook his head and walked towards the court.

* * *

Even though he hadn't listened a word Pete had said, he was on fire. His mind and body were focused and he was able to read the game almost effortlessly. After the previous game the press had called him maniac and speculated it was because of Jude's condition. Zero played on edge, making dangerous passes and shoots. Pete had warned him several times, but he didn't care. It granted few goals for the opponent but it gave them more points than it costed.

During the last minutes Zero knew it was his change to become the MVP. He concentrated only on that, nothing else mattered. He paid no attention to Derek who had managed to break lose. He paid no attention on the screams of the crowd. He paid no attention to his body which screamed in fatigue. He just pushed on and threw the ball for the last attempt, almost from the middle of the court. The seconds felt like minutes as the ball flew through the air and finally sank through the basket.

Zero heard the crowd go wild and soon after the buzzer sounded. Every Devil's player and dancer ran to the court and rejoiced their winning. For the first time in days Zero felt truly tired. He didn't feel the joy like all the others but instead, he felt empty. He looked around, half expecting to see Jude among the spectators, clapping his hands and smiling proudly at him. But there was only a mass of people, no one which he recognized. He felt his teammates pat his back but he didn't react to that. It all turned to blur: handshakes with other players and interviews with reporters.

A woman came up to him with microphone in her hands. She asked something but Zero couldn't understand what she was saying until she asked again: "How does it feel to be the MVP for the first time in your career?"

Zero tried to focus and find some kind of answer but his mind was blank. "It feels unbelievable." He managed to blurt out.

"Not a surprise." The journalist said after waiting for a moment for Zero to continue. "Many have speculated that you would drop out in the middle of the season. What would you say to those people?"

"I don't…" Zero shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. He needed to get out of there. He felt like suffocating. The mass of people were crushing him. The cameras flashed as he retreated as quickly as possible from the courtside. The jumbo screen showed his exit but he didn't notice that.

Zero rushed to Jude's office and slammed the door shut behind him. He took deep, steadying breaths and leaned against the door. His legs gave in and he slid to the floor.

* * *

"So this is where you've been?"

Zero was just about to throw another basket when he heard Lionel's voice echo in the empty court. He looked to the player's entrance and saw her standing in the shadows. He then turned his attention back on throwing the ball and it sank easily.

"So you're just ignoring me?" Zero heard her coming closer as her heels hit the flooring.

"Since when I've answered to you with any of my doings?" He asked and went to get the ball back.

"Never." She answered but stopped only when she was a few feet away from him. "But since Jude's been my friend, I've been looking after him and when someone he cares about hasn't showed up by his hospital's bedside, I thought I should find out why."

Zero threw another basket. "I don't think my presence has any effect on his state." He said bluntly and without any emotion. It was seven p.m. on the next day of the game and everyone else were suffering from hangover somewhere around the city, expect for him.

"You're distancing yourself from him." Lionel's words were like a whip. "I get it that you don't want to face the truth but do you really think that it's going to hurt less if you just stay here and throw that…" She gestured towards the basketball. "…ball around instead of going to see him?"

Zero's lips were pressed to a thin line and he shook his head. "Leave me alone." He growled and pounced the ball aggressively couple of times before throwing it again.

"Fine. As you wish." Lionel said and gave him the most murderous glare. She turned around and walked towards the exit. "Oh, by the way…" She stopped for a moment. "…Jude's awake." Lionel heard the ball drop flatly to the floor and she smiled wickedly as she walked away.

* * *

Jude laid with his eyes closed. It helped him control the pain he felt with every breath he drew. He wasn't sure if it was caused by the wound itself or if it was also the worry he felt for Gideon. He was exhausted. The nurses had dragged him to shower an hour earlier and as he had seen his own reflection from the mirror, they had shaved his beard at his request since he wasn't capable of doing it himself. Nevertheless he felt much better even though taking one shower had felt like the hardest thing to do.

Nearing footsteps caught Jude's attention and he turned to look towards the sound. The pain he felt at the moment he saw Zero standing there, was something completely different. The man was pale and there were dark circles under his reddish eyes. He looked like he hadn't slept in ages.

Without a word Jude moved to make some space for Gideon and lifted the blanket. Zero crawled next to Jude and slipped his hand under his pillow. He pressed his forehead against the side of Jude's face and cupped the other side with his free hand. Jude settled against Gideon's embrace and took hold of his hand, caressing it slowly. They both closed their eyes.

Zero breathed in Jude's smell. He felt overwhelming gratitude to be able to feel Jude's chest rise and fall against his arm and sense his heart beat steadily. Jude's other hand found Zero's knee and it weakly squeezed it. He listened Zero's breathing until it turned to broken sobs.

"It's okay. I'm here." Jude whispered and turned his face slightly towards Zero's, who buried his head between the pillow and Jude's neck.

It didn't take long for both of them to fall asleep.

* * *

Lionel entered the room as quietly as she could with her high heels. She couldn't help but smile when she saw the two boys sleeping next to each other. They both looked so peaceful. Lionel really didn't want to interrupt them but she had no choice. She cleared her throat and called out Jude's name. Jude opened his sleepy eyes and moved a little to see Lionel better. The movement made Zero flinch as he woke up.

"The doctor wants to speak with you." Lionel said, feeling Zero's angry gaze burn a hole into her forehead.

Jude sighed and rubbed his eyes. Zero made a move to sit up when Jude gripped the front of his shirt.

"Hey…" Jude said and with a little nudge Zero already understood what he wanted. He leaned down and pressed his lips against Jude's. His lips were dry but so familiar. Zero ended the kiss and looked at Jude. He was still keeping his eyes closed and slowly licked his lips before opened his eyes and smiling at Zero, who grinned back at him.

"Enough boys, you're making the poor man blush." They looked up to Lionel and true enough the doctor was looking embarrassingly at his hands trying hard to become invisible.

The doctor cleared his throat. "It's okay… I just took a look at your thorax pictures, Jude, and your lungs are looking good, all things considered. The dim area which was caused by blood and pneumonia has reduced significantly. We're moving you into physiotherapy tomorrow."

Zero didn't seem to expect such a good news right away. He let out a strange sound which sounded like a repressed laugh and sigh at the same time. He looked at Jude and the smile he gave him made Jude's heart melt.

* * *

The next day Jude was taken to his new ward. It was pure torture. The doctors decreased his pain medication dose and increased his daily exercise. Which meant he had to walk back and forth the corridor countless times.

Jude had been tied to bed for the last seven days. His body had become skinnier as his muscles had decreased. Even walking had been a challenge at first. Zero had been helping him out whenever he was able to. If Jude had let Gideon decide, the man would've been by his side day and night. Jude had to shoo him home to get some sleep. Although he always came back the next morning looking like he hadn't slept at all and often dozed off next to Jude's hospital bed.

After, which felt like hundredth time, Jude walked along the corridor towards his room, he swore he wouldn't get up from the bed for the rest of the day. As he finally crawled between the sheets and closed his eyes for well-earned rest there was a knock on the door. Jude sighed when he heard Lionel's heels hit the floor.

"Hi." She greeted as she closed the door behind her and walked in.

"Hi." Jude echoed and forced his eyes open. "Sorry, I might not talk much. I'm too tired." Jude yawned and closed his eyes again. He heard Lionel walk closer and then felt a hard pinch on his arm. "What the hell!" Jude startled and stared at Lionel who just shrug her shoulders.

"See? All awake." Lionel smiled to him smugly before rounding to the other side of the bed and sat down. She was right, Jude didn't feel tired at all anymore. "I have news for you." Lionel looked at him, mysterious smile playing on her lips. "I heard Jelena wants to see you."

"Jelena? Why?" Jude lifted himself to a sitting position. The movement making his wounds wring.

"That's what I want to find out too. If she truly needs to see you, this is where she'll come." Lionel opened her back and took a nailfile out.

"So that's the only reason you came?" Jude teased as Lionel looked like she was about to camp by his bedside for the rest of the day.

She looked up at him with a mock hurt on her face. "How dare you? I'm visiting a friend of mine and Jelena is only a little bonus by the side. By the way, where's Zero?"

"He's home bringing me some stuff." Jude looked at the clock. Gideon had been gone for almost two hours now. He should've been back already.

"Have you heard from your mother?" Lionel asked, noticing that Jude looked surprised by the question.

"No." He said after a short silence. "Why?"

Lionel shrugged. "She seemed concerned about you. That's all."

"She came to see me?" Jude's genuine astonishment made Lionel frown.

"She's your mother, Jude." Lionel put the nailfile away and leaned closer to Jude.

"Yes, but we… haven't been very close since moved out." Jude wasn't sure how to explain his relationship with his mother. They had been very close when he was a child but now they only saw a couple times a year during holidays.

"To tell you the truth, I was as surprised as you were when she came to see you." Lionel confessed. "I thought she was dead or something."

"Dead?" Jude looked at her, a little amused.

"Well, you never talk about her so it was only a natural conclusion." Lionel defended herself. "She probably wants to see you. I called her just to tell her you had woken up."

Jude looked away and shook his head with a sad smile on his face. "She remarried just before I went to college. Before that she had concentrated only at her two jobs and me." He felt weird talking about his mother to Lionel. She probably wasn't that interested about their relationship but she didn't interrupt him. "Her new husband, Jake, had two children from his previous marriage. They moved in together and I was sort of a… left out. Not intentionally of course. Jake just didn't know how to deal with me and I don't blame him. I was Oscar Kinkade's teenaged son. So I moved out of their way quite willingly."

"That must've been though." Lionel's compassion surprised Jude but he decided not to question it.

"Back then it was. I don't think about it much these days." Jude smiled. "I have a new mother figure anyway."

Jude grinned when he saw Lionel's shocked expression. "I'm not that much older than you!" She exclaimed and playfully slapped his leg. But Jude could see that she was flattered.

* * *

Zero went through a sport back where he had packed Jude's possession from home. He had taken couple DVDs, clothes, toothbrush and a laptop. Lionel had left to meet with her divorce lawyer.

"Look what I got." Zero took a white box from underneath all the stuff and threw it to the bed. He had bought it on his way back.

Jude looked at the object curiously. The nurse had propped him up to a sitting position with two pillows. He barely reached to the box as he took it to his hands. He already knew what was inside when he opened it: a black phone. Jude was sure he knew why Gideon had picked just that color. His old phone was still police's evidence. "Thanks." He smiled to Gideon but started to laugh when he saw him holding another phone. This time white. "Lionel didn't tell what happened to your last phone." Jude immediately regretted asking when Gideon's smile faded.

"I dropped it. She's been pissed when I didn't buy a new one right away." Zero answered, not wanting to get to the details.

"I can imagine." Jude let out a little laugh before starting to fiddle with his new phone. He didn't switch it on, however, which made Zero frown.

"What's wrong? You don't like it? It's the latest model." He closed the bag and sat to the bench.

"Oscar contacted me." Jude's words were like a bunch to Zero's guts. For a moment he just stared at Jude, mouth hanging open. Then his words started to sink in and Zero pressed his mouth into a thin line.

"Oscar? How the hell did he do that?" Zero couldn't help but yell. He jumped up from the bench and started to pace around in the tiny room. The hatred he felt towards Oscar erupted all in once. All that he had kept inside while pretending to be Oscar's right hand. Jude didn't answer right away. He looked back at his phone with a deep frown on his face. "What did he say, Jude?" Zero stopped in the middle of the room and stared at Jude, wanting an answer.

Jude closed his eyes and sighed. "He called to the ward and the nurses asked if I wanted to talk with him and I said yes."

"What?" Zero couldn't believe his ears. "The man tried to kill you and is now almost invited to see you? How does he even dare to get in touch with you after everything he's done?"

Jude finally looked at Gideon and shook his head slightly. "It seems police has charged Oscar only for Jelena's attempted murder. The detectives confirmed that when they came to see me when you were gone."

"You did gave them your testimony, didn't you?" Zero lowered his voice now when the shock started to wear out. Jude looked away again and didn't answer. "Jude?" Zero called his name to get his attention. He already knew what Jude was going to say but didn't want to believe it.

Finally Jude looked up to him, looking almost guilty. "I told them I couldn't remember who did it." He closed his eyes, readying himself for Zero's outburst.

"Jude! Why the hell would you do that?" Instead of shouting Zero's sounded more concerned as if Jude had lost his mind. He walked to sit by the edge of the bed and tried to get an eye contact with him.

Jude reluctantly looked at him. "I don't know." He said at first but Zero's demanding gaze made him continue. "I thought…" Jude didn't know how to explain his actions to Gideon. "I thought that I need to keep Oscar at my side for a little while longer. Until the time comes to get him. Do you understand?" Jude tried to lean over and take Gideon's hand but the movement made him grimace in pain.

"You alright?" Zero reached out to touch Jude's arm. His expression soft.

Jude smiled to the thought that Gideon was able to forget their conversation for his wellbeing. "It's nothing. But we need to keep Oscar believing that we're not a threat to him. Not until it's sure he's going to jail for the rest of his life."

Zero thought about Jude's words for a moment. He realized how afraid Jude was of Oscar and he knew that the man was capable of escaping from impossible situations. Still Zero believed it would be better for Jude to let Oscar hang right away, but he decided to trust in Jude's instincts instead.

"I get it." Zero answered eventually and couldn't help but mirror Jude's smile.

"Come here." Jude outstretched his hand towards Gideon who leaned over to kiss him. Jude didn't tell Gideon that Oscar had asked him to meet him. He would, after he made up his own mind.

* * *

Jude didn't really believe that Jelena would visit him. He thought she would send him an email or something that sort. So it took him by surprise to see her walk inside his hospital room. Jude realized he hadn't prepared to their meeting at all. Usually he went every meeting through his head but this time he didn't have that advance and it unnerved him. Even more when it was Jelena standing there. Zero seemed to be as stunned as Jude was. But instead of a murderous glare Jude expected to see on his face there was smugness.

Jude was about to greet Jelena but she got ahead of him.

"Very well." She said with a fake smile attached on her face and she looked straight at him, ignoring Zero completely.

Zero lifted his chin and narrowed his eyes. "Very well what?" He asked but Jelena kept staring at Jude.

"I'll sell the team to you, provided that you'll sell me your share of the Devil girls." Jelena continued and her smile faded.

Zero wished the decision was his to make. He would've said no just to have the satisfaction to see Jelena squirm. But the ball was at Jude now and it was his move and as Zero expected, Jude wasn't going to torture Jelena more than necessary.

"We have a deal." Jude agreed. Jelena bit her lower lip and dig up a piece of paper from her handbag.

"I took the liberty to make the paperwork beforehand." She handed them to Jude who read the paper through carefully to check if there was a catch in there but everything seemed to be in order. Jude signed the paper and pressed the nurse call-button so she could take a copy of the contract.

Finally Jelena turned to look at Zero. "If it had been you in charge of the Devil girls, I would've never given in." Zero snorted. "But I respect Jude. He was the only one who anticipated my intension of snatching the team from Oscar." Then she turned towards Jude. "But just so you know: I haven't given up."

Jude appreciated her words. One thing he knew about Jelena was that she didn't give compliments lightly. "I know." He said to her. The war would never end as long as Jude had anything to do with the team. He knew that and had always known it. So he accepted things as they were. Jelena was going to give him a good fight, but he wasn't going to lose it any time soon.

"There you are." Nurse brought the contract back and Jelena took the original copy.

"Shot wounds won't heal quickly." Jelena suddenly said and walked out. Jude just stared after her with dumbfound expression.

* * *

It didn't take long for Jude to get his strength back. The doctors still forbid all the hard exorcises and he couldn't use his left hand at all since it could tear the wound on his shoulder open. When Jude was able to walk the stairs to the second floor and prove that his memory worked as well as before, he was discharged.

Zero had returned to normal from the tired and run-down being he had been. He had almost forgotten how happy Jude made him and how often he smiled around the man. The worry for Jude's safety, however, was still there, nagging his insides. The realization of how close he was of losing Jude hit him two days later Jude had been released from hospital.

Jude was in the shower while Zero ordered them something to eat. He heard the bathroom door shut when he tossed the phone to their bed. "I ordered us Chinese food." He called out and turned around to see Jude standing in the doorway only towel around his waist. Zero felt his heart drop and a lump rise to his throat as he saw two surgical wounds on Jude's chest. The memories of Jude bleeding in his arms came back to his mind. Jude seemed to notice what he was staring at and sighed. He had finally been able to uncover the wounds during shower and had forgot to cover them before coming out. They still looked ugly with stitches and red skin.

Jude was just about to say something when Zero walked closer to him and stopped only inches away. He slowly lifted his hand and caressed the sensitive skin around the wounds.

"Those will heal." Jude said to reassure Gideon but the man just shook his head.

"I umm…" Zero tried to say something but the lump made his voice hoarse and he had to swallow. "I really thought I was going to lose you." He finally managed to choke out and Jude immediately leaned closer and pressed their lips together.

For a moment they just stayed there, keeping their lips pressed together and enjoying being close to one other. Zero sighed against Jude's lips as he felt the tightness of his throat disappear. Jude lifted his hands to cup Zero's face, deepening the kiss. Zero let him until he realized where it would lead if he didn't stop, so he tried to pull away but Jude followed him.

"Jude…" Zero murmured when he was able to pull their lips apart for a second.

"Hmm…" Jude hummed against his mouth, but kept his hands softly on Zero's face.

"Jude!" Zero had to push Jude away a little bit roughly but immediately regretted it when he saw the hurt and puzzled expression on his boyfriend's face. "Take it slowly. You just got out of the hospital." Zero said, out of breath.

Jude licked his lips and Zero thought that he was going to back away, but then he rushed forward and took hold of his face again, almost tripping them over. "But I want you." Jude said with low voice and captured Zero's lips again.

Zero had a hard time separating them again. "I know… and I want… you too." He managed to say between the kisses and when Jude concentrated on kissing his neck instead, he finally managed to speak full sentences. "I **really** want you, Jude, but you're still recovering."

Jude was now kneeling in front of Zero, lifting his shirt and giving light kisses on his belly. He was going even lower when he suddenly stopped. Zero felt a little disappointed when he didn't feel Jude's soft lips on his skin anymore.

Jude got up, still keeping his hands underneath Zero's shirt, and stared at him for a moment. "You haven't have sex in two weeks?"

The question took Zero aback and he didn't know what to answer. Why would Jude even ask that? Of course he hadn't had sex since Jude got injured. "No, of course not." Zero finally managed to answer and as hurt as he was for Jude doubting him, the smile Jude gave him made him smile too.

"I just…" Jude started and laughed a little. "I just thought you would never survive so long without it."

Zero lifted his eyebrows and huffed. "What do you think? I'm some kind of sex maniac?" He crossed his arms over his chest.

"Well… the evidence speak behalf of it." Jude said, smile still playing on his lips.

"Right. Just so you know I'm certainly not a sex maniac and I can go without another day as well." Zero said with a mock hurt in his voice and started to walk pass Jude out of the bedroom.

"No, you won't." Jude quickly stopped him by putting his hand on Zero's chest, the gesture reminding of their first time together. "You maybe can, but I can't." He said leaned over to Zero once again.

Zero couldn't help but smile. "Look who's talking." He teased but then grew serious. "I still don't think it's a good idea."

"We'll take it slow then." Jude said and kissed his lips.

Zero fought against the idea for a while longer before giving in and answering to the kiss. He could feel Jude smile against his lips and knew that he had lost the fight, but knew he wasn't going to regret that.

Jude fumbled with Zero's belt and slipped his hand underneath his waistband. Zero hummed contently and traveled his hand down Jude's back to cup his ass. Jude placed his unoccupied hand behind Zero's neck and adjusted their kissing angle. Zero pulled the towel off of Jude's hips and looked down to enjoy the view. Jude might've been a little skinnier now than he used to be but it didn't change the fact that the man was gorgeous. Zero squeezed Jude's ass again and pulled their hips together.

Jude slipped his hands under Zero's shirt again, this time lifting the clothing from disturbing their skin to skin contact. After that Jude pushed Zero to the bed and started working on his trousers which wasn't such and easy task since he couldn't use his left hand properly. Zero soon seemed to remember that and helped him to pull them off. They smiled up at each other before Jude kneeled down again and took Zero into his mouth. Zero sighed and leaned back against the mattress. Truthfully told, he hadn't even thought about sex much during the past couple of weeks. His mind had been concentrated on Jude and on the basketball. Nothing else had mattered at the time. Now he couldn't even comprehend how he had managed. A gasp escaped his lips as Jude sucked a little forcefully than before and then smiled around his cock.

"Jude…" Zero whispered and Jude, understanding right away what Zero wanted, crawled to face him. This time Zero cupped his cheeks and pulled him down to a kiss. When they broke apart Jude laid down to the bed on his stomach and reached out to take lubricate from the bedside table. He felt Zero crawl on top of him and press his lower body's weight on Jude. Zero reached to take the lubricate from Jude and poured some onto his fingers. He kissed Jude between the shoulder blades as he used to and started to prepare him. His eyes were caught by the two other wounds on Jude's back and a chill went down his spine. Jude's gasp and movement of his hips, however, brought Zero back to his current task. He pushed another finger inside and closed his eyes, enjoying the feeling of Jude's warmth against his body.

"Are you comfortable this way?" Zero asked at the same time as he reached down to kiss Jude's neck.

Jude wasn't comfortable at all. The wounds screamed in agony under his and Zero's weight and he couldn't support himself properly without his left hand. "Wait a minute…" He grunted and turned around. Zero lifted himself up just enough to let him. Jude positioned himself against the bed and tried to feel if it was any better. His left hand got rest properly this way but now the wounds on his back rubbed uncomfortably against the duvets. Jude sighed in frustration. He took a pillow from Zero's side of the bed and arranged it under his hips so that the weight was lifted from lower wound which was the sorest one. Then he nodded at Zero.

"Okay?" Zero still asked.

"Okay." Jude smiled up at him and enjoyed the feeling of Zero putting his weight over him. Zero had to take a steadying breath before slowly pushing inside of Jude. His whole body screamed for him to go fast but he knew Jude wouldn't be able to take it at the moment. Instead he savored the feeling of Jude's tightness and moved slowly. He kept his eyes open most of the time, just to check that Jude wasn't in pain. Soon the feeling caught up with him and he was lost in the moment. He had missed Jude's touch so much that now when he finally had him again, it was almost painful. Jude's hands traveled on his back and ass.

It didn't take long for both of them to come close to the climax. Zero moved his hips a little bit faster than before and Jude wrapped his legs around him even tighter. Zero looked at Jude's face, completely relaxed and free of all the worries. The feeling of desperate need filled his chest, the need of keeping Jude in his life and it was almost suffocating. Zero captured Jude's lips on his and came with a gasp against Jude's lips. He reached down to finish Jude off which was almost unnecessary since he came soon after.

Normally Zero would've collapsed over Jude but just when he was about to, he realized his error and instead lowered to his side but stayed as close to Jude as possible. Jude reached down and tossed the pillow under his hips to the floor. Zero watched him until their breathing evened out, admiring Jude's satisfied expression. His forehead was sweaty and his cheeks a little red. Zero reached over and kissed Jude's cheek, tasting the sweat there.

"I missed you so much." Zero whispered and nuzzled Jude's neck.

Jude turned to look at him and smiled. "I love you too." He said and was about to turn to his side when he realized he wasn't allowed to put so much pressure to his shoulder. "Great, I can't watch you sleeping without my neck stiffening." He mumbled and tried to find a good position on his back. He realized the way they had sex hadn't been ideal one to his wounds which now felt extremely sore, but he wasn't going to tell that to Gideon.

"Spoon then." Zero mumbled against his ear, already half asleep.

Jude smiled and turned his back on him. Zero quickly pressed his body against him and embraced him tightly. Jude knew he was supposed to go to the shower but he didn't have the will power to leave from Gideon's arms. He knew he was going to regret it in the morning but right now, he just wanted to enjoy the moment. He was just about to fall asleep when Zero's voice woke him up.

"Will you marry me?" The question came out easily. Zero hadn't planned to ask it, not now and not that way, but it had just felt right.

Jude turned to his back so he could see Gideon's face properly. "What did you just say?" He tried to search Zero's face for any sign that he was joking but there were none.

"You heard me, stupid." Zero said a nervous smile on his face but his voice was steady. He knew what ever Jude's answer was, it wouldn't destroy their relationship. But it still didn't stop is heart form bounding out of his chest.

For a moment Jude just stared at him, his mind completely blank. Then he reached out to pull Gideon to a rough kiss.

"Was that a yes?" Zero had a hard time to pull himself away from Jude but when he did he was finally able to speak.

"You know the answer, stupid." Jude smiled widely and this time Gideon pressed their lips together.

Jude was a little disappointed that he wasn't in good enough shape to go for a round two, which Gideon had surely deserved but he was contented enough to be in his arms. He was able to do one thing though and parted their lips to kiss Gideon's cheek and then his earlobe and neck. With every kiss he went lover before disappearing under the duvets. Jude smiled when Gideon took a deep breath between his teeth.


	10. Joined by trust

Jude watched Gideon who frittered with his suit buttons and looked like he was ready escape from the situation at any minute. Jude had never seen him so nervous before. They were standing in front of the church Laura was getting married in. The guests walked past them in a regular flow, but they didn't recognize any of them.

Jude leaned slightly over to Gideon and whispered to his ear. "You look handsome."

"What?" Gideon looked at him, truly confused. He hadn't understood a word Jude just said. He was wearing a white suit with dark blue shirt underneath.

"I said you look handsome." Jude said again, a little too loudly since an old lady who walked past them looked at him in shock. Jude tried his sweetest smile on her but the woman just shook her head in disbelief.

Gideon laughed to the woman's reaction. "I could say the same thing about you." He whispered to Jude, keeping his eyes in front of himself. Jude could see his plan working, since Gideon visibly relaxed.

"Are you Gideon?" They both jumped when they heard woman's voice behind them.

It took them a moment to realize that they were in a wedding where Jude wasn't the only one who knew Zero's real name.

"Yes, I am." Zero looked at Jude, back being nervous again.

"I'm Helen, the bridesmaid. Laura did say you look handsome." The woman smiled and looked Zero up and down. It reminded Jude of the first wedding they had attended to and it didn't make him feel very good. "She wished to see you."

Instead of eyeing her like Zero used to do with pretty women, he turned to look at Jude. "You coming with me?"

Jude smiled, feeling a little flattered but didn't have time to answer when the bridesmaid interrupted them.

"She wanted to see you alone." She said and looked at Jude with the same hungry eyes.

This time Zero stared at her with narrowed eyes. "You'll be okay by yourself, babe?" Zero asked as he looked back at Jude, leaning a little bit closer.

"Sure." Jude couldn't hide the amused smile to hear Gideon say that. They had never called each other by any ridiculous pet names. Helen's face was worth it though when her smile disappeared and she motioned for Zero to follow her.

Jude waited a little longer outside, enjoying the cool evening breeze before entering the church where the air conditioning seemed to be the work of a devil. Jude was a little anxious to sit to the front row since he hadn't even met the wedded couple. He noticed that there weren't many people sitting on Laura's side, mainly young people, probably her friends. The groom's side however, was stuffed with relatives. Jude was glad that Gideon was able to attend his sister's wedding and be the only relative there.

* * *

"What do you mean you don't want to get married?" Gideon couldn't believe his ears as Laura told him that. Just a few weeks ago she had seemed incredibly happy about the wedding and now she was freaking out.

"I mean how can I be sure that he's right for me?" Laura walked around the room, stopping only to correct the wedding dress before continuing to pace around. Gideon had never seen her that pretty. She had been more like the tomboy, always wearing jeans and t-shirts and picking up fights with neighborhood boys. Luckily, she had also been a good runner, which managed her escape from the fights she got herself into. Zero had been more of a scheming type. If he got into a fight, he managed to also talk himself out of it. That's how they differed from each other.

"Calm down." Zero sat down to a wooden chest, feeling somehow relaxed to see his older sister so nervous.

"Calm down?" Laura stopped to take her heel from her left foot and threw it towards Gideon who dodged it easily and the shoe hit the wall behind him. "I'm supposed to get married in…" She checked the clock. "…nine minutes and you ask me to calm down." She took a deep breath and looked at her brother with apologized look. "Sorry."

Zero knew women often had trouble handling with stress during marriage preparations but this was getting out of hands. "Look, if you don't want to get married then don't. It shouldn't be that hard." He took the shoe from behind himself and dropped it to the floor.

"I'm not going to listen to you about this one." Laura huffed in disappointment. Zero wondered why she even asked him there if she didn't even listen to him. "You have no idea what its like."

"You're just freaking out." Gideon wished Jude had come with him. He would've known what to say to her. "You do love the guy, don't you?"

"Of course I do!" Laura seemed a little offended by his words. "I'm not marrying him for the money, just so you know."

"I know, I know." Gideon lifted his arms up in defeat. "Look, I'm getting married with Jude at some point." He hadn't planned to tell about that to Laura at her wedding day. They hadn't even wore the rings they bought since they didn't want to get any attention to themselves.

"Really?" Laura looked at him little wearily.

"Really." Gideon confirmed and looked straight at her. "I've been freaking out many times after I asked him to marry me. But those times has happened only when I'm alone and start to think about it too much. But when I'm with Jude, I don't doubt about our decision at all." He paused for a moment to think how much he wanted to open up to her. "I mean, Jude's the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. It doesn't matter if we get married or not. I still want it to be him beside me."

Laura studied her brother's face carefully. There were something new in there she had never seen before.

"Laura, are you ready?" Helen peeked from the doorway.

Laura looked at her best friend and then at Gideon before nodding. "I'm ready."

"You sure?" Zero narrowed his eyes.

Laura took the shoe she had thrown at him and put it back on. "I think I've found my Jude." She then said and winked at Gideon who just laughed at her.

* * *

Jude watched with a proud smile as Gideon walked beside Laura to the groom. He said something to him before letting go of Laura's arm and walking to Jude.

"How did it go?" Jude asked silently when Gideon sat down.

"She freaked out a little, but you helped her through with it." Gideon winked at him and Jude frowned, but didn't have the change ask what he was talking about when the priest started to speak.

Laura glanced at Gideon before turning her gaze to Jude. Gideon watched as Jude smiled at his sister shyly and Laura nodded at him. He didn't know why but for some reason he waited anxiously of those two meeting each other.

* * *

The ceremony after the church was held in a five star hotel close by. Jude and Gideon were seated to a round table with four other guests they didn't know. None of the others had found their chairs yet and Jude took the opportunity to check who accompanied their table.

"This one says: Jake Dundy." Jude read out loud before placing the nametag back to its place. "Next to him is Samantha Dundy. Does they ring any bells?"

"Who cares? I'm not going to small talk with them through the whole night. I don't even know them." Gideon wished they could've shared a private table with no additional talk with unknown people. Especially if they weren't able to advance his sports career.

"I care." Jude said as he read the rest of the tags and sat down beside Gideon. "Who knows if they were your long lost siblings or something?" Jude smirked as Gideon looked at him with lifted eyebrows.

"You must be Jude." Laura had emerged behind them.

"Yes, I am." Jude quickly stood up and shook her hand. "Nice to meet you."

"The pleasure is all mine, I've heard so much about you." Laura looked at Gideon who just shook his head. Jude glanced at him also, but Gideon managed to avoid eye contact with him.

"I'd like you to meet my husband: Jeff Houston." Laura stepped aside to let them shake hands with him. "Jeff, this is my long lost brother, Gideon and his fiancée Jude."

Jude managed to catch eye contact with Gideon now and lifted his eyebrows in question.

"He told because of me. Sorry, should I've kept quiet about it?" Laura looked a little scared between the two.

"No, it's okay. I was just… caught by surprise." Jude smiled wearily.

"She does that… many times." Jeff said playfully. "Excuse me, but I think my mother's going to lose her patience if I don't go see her right away. Nice meeting you two."

Gideon nodded at the man who hurried away towards the old lady they had seen earlier. Jude seemed to notice her as well and they smiled to each other.

"Laura, you look so beautiful!" A middle aged woman walked towards them and gave Laura a big hug.

"Aunt Samantha." Laura patted her arm fondly before turning towards them. "Samantha, I'd like you to meet Gideon. Gideon, this is Jeff's aunt." Gideon didn't seem at least bit of exicted to meet Jeff's family members.

"So tell me: what do you do for a living?" Samantha sat down to the seat reserved for her.

"Actually I'm a basketball player in L.A." Gideon and Jude sat down as well. Laura disappeared to greet her friends to another table. She seemed overly pleased with herself.

"Really? Then my son must recognize you. He's a big fan of basketball." Samantha looked at Jude a little curiously, obviously wanting to know who he was.

"This is Jude Kinkade." Gideon pointed to him. "He's my…"

"Of course! He's your fiancée!" Samantha smiled widely. Gideon realized he shouldn't have been surprised to know that Laura had already told her about Jude.

The conversation went on about Gideon's career even more when Samantha's son and husband joined them.

Jude didn't like the way Samantha's son was eyeing Gideon. Why was it that everyone in this wedding seemed to flirt with Zero? Luckily Zero had seemed to notice that he was interested in more than his career. Samantha talked none stop and often praised her son who was going to be a pilot.

When the best man's speech started Gideon leaned towards Jude.

"I swear we're not telling her when we're getting married." He whispered and got a huge smile from Jude.

"Come on. She's not that bad." Jude whispered.

Gideon lifted his eyebrows at him. "Seriously? I'm surprised that she even stopped talking for a moment."

"Boys, please be quiet." Samantha whispered to them and they both suppressed a laugh.

* * *

After the deserts and official speeches, people started to scatter around. Jude and Gideon found themselves a quiet corner near the open bar. Jude started to feel extremely exhausted as he half leaned against Gideon's warm body.

"Wanna dance?" Gideon's question wiped all the tiredness away.

"Are you serious?" Jude turned to look at him doubtfully.

"Well, if you don't want to…" Gideon took a sip from his bourbon and looked around the hall.

"It's not that I don't want to." Jude said with a hint of a smile in his voice. "It's just that I think the groom's mother could have a heart attack."

Gideon spilled the bourbon back to the glass as he started to laugh. "That's even bigger reason for us to go." He said after he managed to collect himself and wipe the alcohol from his jaw.

Jude grinned widely as he followed Gideon to the dancefloor where almost every couple, including Samantha and her husband, were dancing slow. Neither of them had ever danced with a man before so it took them some time to decide where to put their hands and if Jude was honest with himself, he had never danced with anybody before. Eventually Jude found his left hand on Gideon's shoulder and another on the small of his back. Gideon rested his arms on Jude's hips, like he did many times when they were alone together. They both forgot to look at Jeff's mother's reaction as they slowly swayed together.

* * *

Zero went to fetch them more wine but when he got back Jude's was staring to a distance, deep in his thoughts. His solemn expression made Zero worried.

"Something wrong?" He asked as he offered the other glass to Jude.

"Jeff's surname seemed familiar to me. It kept on bugging me so I asked Lionel to check it." Jude said as he accepted the glass.

"So?" Zero didn't know what could be so depressing about that.

Jude took a deep breath before answering: "He's one of Oscar's lawyers."

Gideon was about to lift the glass to his lips but instead put it back down again. "You sure about that?" He looked wearily at Jude who nodded at him.

"There's no doubt about it." Jude fell silent for a moment. He knew Gideon would get mad if he asked the question which was troubling him. "Why did Laura came to see you?"

"What do you mean?" Jude avoided Zero's hard stare.

"I mean that it seems too much of a coincidence." Jude finally looked at Gideon again and hated the way he was looking at him.

Zero licked his lips and seemed to gather his thoughts for a moment before speaking out. "Are you claiming that Laura is somehow involved with Oscar?"

"Think about it, Gideon." Jude turned to face Zero properly and lowered his voice so no one around them overhear their conversation. "Doesn't it seem odd that she came to see you just after Oscar had ran away? You hadn't seen each other in ten years. Wasn't she the one who left you alone with them?" Jude was referring to Gideon's foster parents. For a moment he thought Gideon was about to consider the possibility but then his expression turner stern.

"No, I don't think she has anything to do with Oscar and I'm going to prove it." Zero turned his back on Jude and walked away to search his sister. Jude cursed silently. He hadn't meant to upset Gideon, but he felt in his guts that something was wrong with this arrangement.

* * *

Zero found Laura easily and asked her to join him to the balcony where they could talk in private. Laura noticed immediately that he was upset but she didn't question it until she closed the glass doors behind them.

"Is something wrong?" She asked as she turned towards her brother.

Zero leaned against the railing and watched the beautiful sea view for a moment before answering: "Is Jeff Oscar Kinkade's lawyer?" Zero waited for Laura to answer but when she didn't say anything, he turned around to face her. "Well?"

Laura let out a nervous laugh and fiddled with her wedding ring. The manners were so small that many would've missed them but Zero noticed them right away. Finally Laura walked beside him to the railing. "I don't know Jeff's customers. He might be. That Oscar… or whoever he was."

"Don't lie to me." Zero wasn't going to let this pass.

"Did Jude say something about me?" Laura asked, trying to sound casual but her tone rose a little too high.

"He suspected you have something to do with Oscar." Zero wanted to be honest with her.

Laura shook her head in disappointment. "Oh, Gideon, you shouldn't believe everything he says. I mean the poor man must've traumas if he thinks that his father shot him."

Zero narrowed his eyes. " **If** he thinks his father shot him? Laura, I know in a fact that Oscar did it and I also know that you have something to do with him."

"Gideon, please…" Laura huffed nervously.

"Then why would you believe otherwise?" Zero almost yelled the last words making Laura flinch. This time her nervous smile disappeared and was replaced by a hard stare and Zero knew she wasn't fooling around anymore.

"Okay, fine!" She shouted and straightened herself up as she used to do when one of the neighbor boys picked on her. "I happen to know that Oscar is Jeff's client. So what? Does that make me Jude's enemy or something?"

"Not necessarily." Zero snapped back at her. "It depends on how well you know him. Why did you came to see me last month?"

"You truly believe that I came to see you because of Oscar?" Laura looked genuinely hurt by the claim or maybe she was just good at acting. Zero wasn't sure which one to believe.

"Well, Jude was right in every other detail." Zero said.

"You really believe everything he says to you?" Laura lowered her voice and bemused smile appeared on her face. "Oscar said you were with him only to get the team to yourself which I didn't even doubt because that's the Gideon I know. But you truly love him, don't you?"

Zero couldn't do anything else than just to stare at his older sister. He heard her speak but it sounded like someone else were saying the words.

"You do know Jude's just after his father's fortune, don't you?" Laura looked straight into his eyes. "I mean, who honestly claims that his own father has shot him? Oscar's a kind, considering man and Jeff's just trying to keep him out of prison."

This time a suppressed laugh escaped Zero's mouth and he shook his head in disbelief. "They've really got you good, Laura. I can't believe it." With that Zero started to back away from her. He kept his eyes locked on her, to see if there was any doubt there but Laura stood by her words. "I can't believe it." Zero echoed his earlier words before turning around and starting to walk back inside.

"Thanks for ruining my wedding day."

Zero stopped as he heard her words. He pressed his lips together before turning around. "Your wedding day?" He stormed back at Laura and stopped only inches away from her. "It's always been about you. Hasn't it?" He couldn't help but shout but right at the moment all the anger he had felt during their conversation came pouring out.

"Yes, my wedding day!" Laura yelled back at him. "You could've asked me about your suspicions at any other time, but no! You had to do it now! Do you see how selfish that is?"

"You left me!" Zero took a step back as he screamed those words. Laura looked stunned. "You left me, Laura. You just turned your back and walked away, leaving me with them." Zero's eyesight blurred and he blinked furiously to keep the tears down. With that he left Laura standing there, staring at him with puzzled expression.

Even when the music hit his ears as he opened the glass doors, he heard Laura shout after him: "I didn't visit you because of that!"

* * *

Zero walked towards the place he had last seen Jude. All he wanted right now was to take hold of Jude's arm and get them home. But when he got there, Jude was nowhere in sight. He checked his phone and saw that Jude had tried to call him several times. Eventually he had left a text message: _I know where Oscar is. I went to see him. Call me as soon as you get this._

Zero tried to call Jude, but there was no answer. He cursed as he made his way outside. As he had suspected, Jude had taken his car. It had been several day's drive to the wedding place but they had taken it as an opportunity to spend some time together instead of just flying back and forth in one day. Zero knew where Jude was heading but he had no idea what he was going to do when he got there. But one thing he did know was that it wasn't going to be good. So he needed to find a cab as soon as possible.


	11. Remorse

Jude sat behind the wheel of Gideon's car. When he had realized Oscar's whereabouts, he had thought to wait for Gideon to return, but he wasn't sure if he was still mad at him and decided to go alone instead. Besides he wasn't even hundred percent sure if Oscar really was here. It was likely that the man had already fled the scene.

Once Jude got there, he realized he hadn't planned what he was going to do. He had parked the car near Jeff and Laura's house. He had remembered their address from the wedding invitation. Jude wanted to call the police, but he didn't want to bother them in case he was wrong. There were no guarantees that they would even believe him either. So Jude decided to check the house by himself. If he was right, he would try and call the police and if he wasn't, then he had to apologize to Gideon. Jude checked his phone and realized that Gideon had tried to call him. Several times. His battery was dying down however, so he thought to save it for the change of calling to the police.

The house seemed empty as Jude made his way towards it. It stood on top of a hill like every other houses in the area. It wasn't in the richest neighborhood but the house was large enough to cost a small fortune. The driveway was steep and Jude found himself short of breath very quickly. The day had already been long enough and it made him realize just how bad shape he still was in.

Jude tried to approach the house as invisible as possible. Which basically meant walking close to bushes and shadows of the threes. When he got to the house, he carefully peeked through the nearest window. The curtains had been pulled over. As he passed by the front door, he silently tried the handle, but it was locked as expected. Jude decided to go round the house to see if he could see inside from anywhere else. At the backyard he was ready to give in when he noticed that the backdoor was ajar.

Quietly Jude slipped inside. The house was dark and there were no signs of anyone being inside. He saw that Jeff and Laura had left in a hurry, since there was half full milk carton on the table and the radio was on. Jude was just about to leave when he noticed a black calendar on a side table. Jude recognized it belonged to Oscar. He reached out to open it when a voice called from behind him:

"I thought you would find me here, Jude."

Jude turned around so fast that he almost lost his balance. Oscar was standing at the other side of the room. Jude couldn't see his face properly since all the curtains were closed but he saw that the man was smiling. For a moment Jude felt his heart beat faster and like someone was choking his airways. He broke into a cold sweat and just when he thought he was going to panic, he managed to take a deep breath to fill his lungs. He hadn't expected such a violent reaction from his body.

"So what are you still doing here?" Jude glanced towards the door, wondering if Oscar could stop him if he tried to make a run for it.

"Isn't it obvious?" Oscar laughed humorlessly. "I wanted to see you."

"Then why just don't wait for me to contact you like you asked? I could've called a police to check this place out." Jude felt relieved of how steady his voice sounded.

"But you didn't." Oscar stated simply as if he was able to read his son like an open book.

At that moment Jude cursed himself for not making that call. It was clear Oscar had just waited for him to find him. For what reason? Jude could only speculate.

"Would you sit down?" Oscar pointed towards the armchair next to Jude.

"I'd rather not." Jude said and stayed put.

"Oh, please. I'm not going to hurt you, Jude. See…" Oscar lifted his hand up for him to see. "…I don't have anything. So why don't you sit down and we can talk?"

Jude watched as Oscar sat down opposite of him. Reluctantly Jude took the armchair.

"That's more like it." Oscar smiled too innocently for Jude's liking. He was definitely up to something. "I wanted to apologize for all the… trouble I've cost. You see, Jude, I honestly thought you were going to backstab me and tell the police that I was the one who shot Jelena. So I had no other choice."

Jude couldn't help but smile and look down at his hands in disbelief. "Are you seriously trying to make excuses for trying to kill me?"

"I hired someone to keep track on you." Oscar continued without paying any attention on Jude's words. "He saw you going to the police station not long after our agreement of me signing the divorce papers. I thought there was no other way than to… stop you."

Jude felt his throat go dry as he listened Oscar's words. He didn't know how the man expected him to react so he stayed silent.

"As you've probably noticed, I'm not used to doing such things by myself. Jelena provoked me to confront her myself and so I did, but I failed to kill her." Oscar seemed truly disappointed because of that, which send shivers down Jude's spine. "When you winded up to save her, I thought I could frame you for her murder and get away myself. Then I realized how stupid that had been. If Jelena was out of the picture, you would've become her substitute with the team, which could've aided me. So I paid someone to steal the gun from the police station. It was a mistake since they arrested Sloane soon after, but the damage had already been done."

Jude had suspected the missing gun had something to do with Oscar, but why he would do that, had been a mystery to him up until now. "So when I stole the change from you to get the team back through the Devil girls, you decided to get back at me?" Jude knew the bullshit about Oscar thinking that he was going to rat him up was all lies.

Oscar ignored him again. "I wasn't going to do it myself, but I wanted to be there. You **are** my son, after all."

Jude felt like throwing up.

"But when the two shots weren't enough I thought I should do it." Oscar made it sound like killing his own son was the most honorable thing in the world. "Then Zero interrupted us. At first I thought I should get rid of him as well, I never liked the guy, but then I thought his presence could get the attention from me to him instead. So I left the gun there. I knew they weren't going to lock him up but it gave me enough time to prepare my next move."

"To run away?" Jude was glad to see the offended expression on Oscar's face as he said that, but it soon turned to fake smile again.

"That's right. You don't even know my next move. Asking Jeff to hide me didn't require any planning at all. He's paid to do what's best for me." Oscar seemed extremely pleased. "Getting to know that Laura was Zero's sister, however, was a surprise to me. I found out the day after I came here. She had been in L.A. to meet with him… and you. I had to act careful around her, but in the end I managed get her on my side. She truly started to believe I'm not the villain in this story." Then he stood up, making Jude flinch in his seat by the unexpected movement. "Relax, Jude. If there's one thing I regret during all this, is shooting you. It was the hardest thing I've ever done."

They looked each other straight in the eyes. Jude tried to see a sign that Oscar was only fooling him, but there weren't any. A sound of sirens caught their attention.

"I guess my ride is here." Oscar stated calmly and started to walk towards the exit.

"Your ride?" Jude followed Oscar with his eyes as the man opened the front door and walked outside.

For a moment Jude just sat there, staring at the door. Then he quickly stood up, taking support from the nearest table when his legs almost gave in underneath him, and quickly followed Oscar's trail. Just when he stepped outside a police officer walked beside him and started to handcuff him.

"What are you doing?" Jude tried to ask but the officer didn't stop.

"You're both under arrest of burglary." The woman simply stated.

Oscar had already been handcuffed and was escorted towards the police car. Before he stepped in, he turned around to face Jude with the same smile as before. "You can let him go. I did it by myself. Jude just came to see me here because I asked."

Jude couldn't hide the dumbfound expression on his face.

"You mean you were the one who was lurking around the apartment?" Officer next to Jude asked. "She said that the burglar was a tall dark suited man." She looked at Oscar, wondering if anyone could mistake him being tall.

"You mean the old lady standing over there?" Oscar asked and nodded towards a white haired woman staring from her doorway towards them. "I don't think she can even see this far properly."

Jude waited anxiously as the officer thought, if she could buy Oscar's story.

"Officer Shane!" A man who had been sitting in the car the whole time got out and waved Oscar's identification card in the air. "This man is wanted for attempted murder and has a criminal record."

That seemed to make the woman made up her mind and she released Jude from the handcuffs. "We question you later, so please give your contact information to the police officer there."

* * *

After Jude had talked with the officer and turned around to go back to his car, he saw Gideon walk swiftly towards him. At first Jude smiled at him, before he remembered that the man was probably still mad at him and so he wiped the smile out of his face.

"Are you fucking insane?" Was the first thing Zero said as he was close enough for Jude to hear him. "I went looking for you, only to realize you had left a text message and gone to see Oscar **by yourself**." Zero was almost shouting now. The police officer's looked at each other, clearly wondering if they should step in.

Jude opened his mouth to apologize as Gideon came to stand before him, but he looked at him with so much intensity that it made Jude's heart skip a beat and he found himself unable to form any words.

"You alright?" The accused and hurt voice turned to worry as Gideon examined Jude's expression. "Did he do something to you?"

Jude shook his head and cleared his throat to speak. "No… we just… talked."

"Talked?" Zero crossed his arms around his chest. "You look like he has traumatized you for the rest of your life." He stared murderously towards the police car where Oscar was sitting and looking at them. If only looks could kill, he thought.

"I'll explain it to you later." Jude glanced towards Oscar as well before starting to walk down the road again. "Let's just get out of here."

"I tried to call the police but it seems someone had already called them to the same address." Zero stated as he walked next to Jude towards their car.

Jude still felt the old lady's stare at his back. It seemed like she saw just fine, probably wondering why they hadn't arrested him. Gideon sat behind the driver's wheel but didn't turn on the car. Jude was about to ask why when he spoke out:

"You were right about her." He confessed and Jude sighed in disappointment.

"Gideon, I'm sorry." He hadn't wanted to break their relationship just after they had found each other again. "I didn't mean to ruin…"

"No, it's okay. I'd rather found out about it now than later." Gideon quickly interrupted him. "But it doesn't mean than I'm not upset about it."

Jude smiled tightly and patted Gideon's knee. Happy that he was able to open up to him about his feelings.

"Oscar told that he met her only after she came back from L.A." Jude smiled as the frown on Gideon's face softened a little.

"Really?" Gideon asked and turned to look at Jude, who nodded at him. But then he looked away and sighed, clearly exhausted. "What I don't understand is that she seemed to be okay with you in the morning, but after the ceremony she clearly tried to set me up with that distressing man and his family." Zero deliberately left out all the things Laura had said about Jude.

"Maybe she thought you were going to get tired of me sooner or later." Jude really had no idea why Laura had acted so inconsistently.

Gideon just shook his head. "She's smart. Why would she believe so blindly something Jeff and Oscar told her? I just don't get it."

"I think she's in love." Jude almost laughed to the expression Gideon gave him.

"Laura? Blindly in love? Give me a break." Gideon reached for the car key but stopped when Jude spoke.

"It's not that unbelievable, isn't it? I'm sure you've done plenty of crazy things when you've been in love."

Gideon started the car and leaned against his seat. "You would know." They looked at each other and smiled.

"Drive me to the nearest motel, you lazy bitch. I don't think I'll survive the next half an hour without a bed to sleep in." Jude said and Gideon did as he was told only with amused smile on his face.

* * *

Three days later Jude had an appointed meeting with his lawyer concerning Oscar's charges. The man's trial, where he was about to hear what he was charged for, was about to be held in two days. Jude had thought Zero wasn't interested about all the lawyer talk, but he had insisted on attending. So they sat in the lawyer's office as the man himself was nowhere to be found. The secretary told them to wait for five minutes.

Jude looked straight ahead, his mind working with full capacity of what could happen next. He felt Gideon stare at him and when ignoring the man didn't help, Jude finally turned to face him. "What?" He asked a little annoyed.

"The doctor's said you should avoid any unnecessary stress." Zero said a little smile playing on his lips, but Jude saw that he was concerned.

"The stress I'm having right now is everything but unnecessary." Jude said solemnly but couldn't help but give Gideon a little smile for his concern.

"I know, but you should learn to share some of your thoughts with others." Gideon put his hand to Jude's knee and squeezed lightly. "I got you."

"I know you do. Sorry." Jude took Gideon's hand on his and at the same time the office doors opened and the lawyer walked in.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Cameron said as he sat down to his spot on the other side of the desk. "My schedule is quite tight so I get straight to business: I've talked with Oscar's defense lawyers and it seems there's some trouble ahead."

Zero could feel Jude's hand tighten around his. He glanced at Jude but his face was as calm as before.

"If you decide to give a statement about Oscar shooting you, his lawyers are planning to call a specialist to the stand." Cameron continued.

"What specialist?" Jude frowned now but he didn't sound concerned.

"A psychiatrist who's willing to testify that Oscar's bad parentinghood has lead you to have a grudge against him. Which basically references that you're lying and want to see Oscar in prison just because your personal feelings." Cameron looked carefully between the two and Jude looked like he wanted to punch something... or someone. "Or alternatively, they don't accuse you of lying but instead tell that your condition was so bad that you only think you remember it was Oscar shooting you. Which would undo the lie detector test you took."

Jude and Zero shared a look before Jude spoke out. "So basically my testimony might mean nothing in court?"

"Might, but I believe that the jury will prefer your story over his." Cameron smiled tightly. "What you want to do with your testimony is up to you."

Jude sighed, he had not expected it would come to this.


	12. To who you depend on?

Zero stepped out of the shower and dried his hair to a towel. He was just about to start shaving his beard when he heard Jude's voice coming from outside:

"Mom, I'm not talking with you about this."

Zero frowned. He had never, in the timespan he had known Jude, heard him talk with his mother.

"Mom…" Jude stood in the middle of the living room, trying to interrupt his mother's endless raddle. "Mom. Mom! I'm not breaking up with him!"

"Jude, honey, I did some search of him after I met him and believe me, he's no angel." Jude swore he would never call his mother again after this phone call was over.

"Mom, I know everything about his past and no, I'm still not breaking up with him. Did you listen to me when I asked you to break up with Jarrod? No, and was I right? Exactly, so would you just please leave it be?" Jude heard his mother take a deep breath to start another rant, but Jude interrupted her: "Look, we haven't even seen each other in a year… I know mom, that you came to see me… the point is that you know nothing about my life or Zero's either, so you have no right to ask me to break up with him." Jude readied himself for another counterargument, but instead his mother went silent. "Mom? You there?"

"Yeah…" The silent dragged a little bit longer. "I call you later, okay?" With that she hang up.

Jude rubbed his face with his free hand and put the phone down. He hadn't remembered how much energy his mother was able to consume out of him when she wanted to.

"Was it Heather?" Jude turned to look at Gideon who hovered at the doorframe, looking almost guilty of hearing the conversation.

"Yep…" Jude threw the phone to the sofa. "I called her to tell we've gotten engaged. She didn't take it very well."

Zero ran a hand through his wet hair. "I don't blame her."

"What?" Jude frowned and put his hands to his pockets. "She doesn't even know you. She has no right…"

"Come on, Jude. She's your mother and I'm certainly not the ideal son-in-law quality." Zero laughed to himself and made Jude smile a little as well.

"Considering your background, maybe not, but I wouldn't want it any other way." Jude walked in front of Gideon and eyed him up and down. "You were in a shower so why are you dressed?" He frowned as he looked at Zero's jeans and dress shirt.

"I was planning to take you out to dinner." Zero grinned and was about to step pass Jude, but was stopped when Jude moved in front of him.

"What if I'm not hungry?" Jude asked and smiled wickedly at him.

Zero narrowed his eyes and a smile appeared on his face as well. "In that case we could stay inside…" He said deliberately slowly.

"I thought so too." Jude leaned down to kiss Gideon, breathing in the familiar scent of the shower gel.

When they parted Gideon licked his lips slowly. "What if I'm hungry?" He then asked with a wicked smile.

"Then I'll make you something later." Jude said and moved to kiss him again but this time Gideon took a step back.

"You promise?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"I promise." Jude said a little annoyed now, which made Gideon even more pleased with himself.

"Okay, I'll hold on to that." Gideon said but moved fruther away again when Jude tried to close the space between them again. "You want this?" Gideon smiled innocently and dropped the towel from his waist to the floor. Jude licked his lips unconsciously and the wicked smile came back to Gideon's face.

"Then what do you want me to do?" Jude caught up to Gideon's game soon enough and crossed his arms around his chest.

"Make me some risotto."

"Okay." Jude agreed. He left out the fact that they didn't have any white wine left but if Gideon wanted risotto then he was going to get one. Jude didn't promise it would be good.

"That was easy." Gideon said a little dissapointed by the lack of protest. "Then you can start by taking off your clothes. I mean I love to see you dressed to jeans and t-shirt, but nothing suits you even better."

Jude smiled embarrassingly and shook his head a little but eventually did as he was told, gaining a heated kiss for reward.

* * *

Jude sat by the kitchen counter and looked silently at the ring on his finger. It was silver, plain and simple with a golden line in the middle. Gideon had similar except it was golden with a silver line. Jude had let Gideon pick them up and he loved it, but he still wasn't used to it. There were times when he forgot about it and suddenly noticed it again. This time wasn't an exception.

"Have you picked up the suit for the court hearing yet?" Jude was dragged from his thoughts by Zero's voice.

"What?" Jude asked and turned to look at Gideon who was checking his phone.

Zero looked at him and smiled. "Oscar's trial or did you already forget?"

"Yeah… yeah, it's on the bed." Jude tried to collect his thoughts.

"What were you thinking just now?" Zero asked and put his phone away.

Jude knew he had to tell Gideon at some point. He just knew the reaction wouldn't be very positive one and he couldn't blame him. "I decided to meet with Oscar." Jude was right, the smile disappeared from Gideon's face and was replaced by a hard stare.

"No you're not! Jude, why do you keep torturing yourself? That monster isn't your father anymore." Zero raised his voice, horrified of Jude's suggestion. He would rather tie Jude to the battery than let him go see Oscar. "We're going to take Oscar down once and for all with your testimony!"

"We are taking Oscar down." Jude kept his voice steady to calm Zero down who just stared at him with his mouth open. "Look, Gideon…" Jude leaned closer to him and reached out to touch Zero's hand. "…we can't place everything on the slight change of him getting a verdict. If we do this together, Oscar's going to be under our control in the future."

Zero shook his head and bit his lower lip. To Jude's disappointment he took his hand away from him. "I don't get it Jude…"

"Oscar's hearing is being held today." Jude tried to find words to get Gideon see his side. "We both know he takes every change he got to get himself out of the prison. So if he manages to get out, we may still have a change to keep him in control."

"The man shot you, Jude!" Zero slammed the tabletop and made Jude startle, but he refused to give in.

"You don't have to forgive him for that and I won't either, but we need to think one step ahead." Jude saw a slight change in Gideon's face and smiled when the man relaxed a little. They needed to put their feeling aside so they could be smart about this. Taking down Oscar Kinkade completely wasn't one prison wall away.

* * *

Jude sat opposite of Oscar. He kept his hands underneath the table. For some reason showing the ring to Oscar made him feel uneasy. He wasn't afraid what Oscar might think of his engagement, but provoking Oscar now would only backstab them in the future.

"I'm glad you came, son." Oscar said and smiled his wry smile at him.

Jude swallowed the tightness from his throat. "I just want you to know that I remember very well it was you and your assistant who shot me." Oscar's smile didn't fade. "But I also want you to know that I'm not going to share that information with the police if I'm not driven to it."

This time Oscar's interest seemed to rise and he observed his son carefully. "What do you mean by that?"

"I mean that if I feel mine, or anyone else's life I care about, threatened. I won't hold back my testimony." Jude's voice was steady and he felt his heart calm down also. Now it was time for the act to begin. "I also have no clue of how to run the team's business. Things have gone straight to hell. So I wish…" Jude had to swallow again. "…that you could help me with that." The suggestion was made only to get Oscar think that he was able to be in charge once more. Jude knew that keeping Oscar as his "mentor", would be psychically hard, but he was used to his mind games.

Oscar leaned forward to place his hands above the desk and smiled at Jude. "You really think I believe that?"

Jude felt his throat dry up again. "I don't expect you to believe anything I say. But for your own sake, I hope you do." With that, Jude stood up and walked out of the room. He went outside as fast as he could so he could breathe in the fresh air.

* * *

The court was full of people. Most of the participators were from the arena: Jelena, Terrence, Ahsha, Derek, Pete and Sloane. Jude sat with Zero and Lionel. Luckily press wasn't allowed into the courtroom, although they were lurking outside, waiting for the hearing to end.

"What did he say?" Lionel whispered, leaning over Zero, who was sitting between her and Jude. She tried to fish some information from Jude's visit to the prison.

"He didn't buy my story, but he doesn't have much of a choice if he wants to be part of the Devils in the future." Jude answered but he kept his eyes fixed on the back of Oscar's head. The man couldn't hear them from where they were seated.

Jude looked around and saw Jeff Houston sitting with a punch of other lawyers near Oscar. Jude wasn't surprised of his presence, but he had wondered if Laura would show up too. However, she was nowhere in sight. Jude heard someone whispering near him and to his surprise it was Zero and Lionel who were talking with each other. He had never seen them communicate without fighting. At first he was about to let them talk in private, but curiosity took the better of him.

"What are you talking about?" Jude asked and the new best friends turned to look at him. They looked like he had just caught them planning a murder or something. Jude truly hoped he was wrong about that.

"Nothing important." Lionel was the first to answer and smiled with a fake smile. Then she stared coldly at Zero like he had just insulted her personally. Zero seemed to be a little baffled, but collected himself quickly and leaned slightly over Jude's side as if Lionel didn't exist anymore. Jude just shook his head. He glanced at the clock again, anxious for the hearing to start.

"Jude!" Lionel's suddenly shouted and almost everybody in the room turned to look at her. "Is that what I think it is?" She lowered her voice and took Jude's hand to hers. Then she looked at Zero's and saw him a ring as well. "When did you...?" She couldn't finish her sentence when a woman stopped to stand next to Jude.

Jude looked up to her and his eyes widened. "Mom?" He looked his mother up and down. She had dressed to a black form-fitting dress. She looked like she was a widow coming to a funeral.

"I tried to call you, but you never answer." Heather said and Jude couldn't believe he was being scolded like a six year old in a middle of a court.

"Sorry, but my phone's on mute, like everyone else's here." Jude explained, but Heather hadn't heard a word he said as she stared at Oscar.

"Excuse me, but I have something to talk about with your father…" Heather said and was about to walk towards him when the judge walked in. For a moment she seemed to be at loss of whether to sit down or keep on walking, but eventually settled to sit beside Jude.

"Four days ago." Jude whispered to Lionel to answer her earlier question. "And no, we haven't set the date."

Lionel squeezed his hand before concentrating to what the judge was saying.

It didn't come up with a surprise to anyone in the room to hear that Oscar pleaded not guilty. The judge recounted that she wasn't going to grand Oscar any changes for bail. Jude and Zero looked at each other. It seemed Oscar would be behind bars for at least one year more.

The judge started to sum the case up and it looked like she was about to end the hearing soon when Terrence, who had been sitting two row of benches before them, suddenly stood up. Everyone's eyes draw to him, expect the judges who was reading something from her notes. Terrence seemed to take a deep breath before speaking out:

"Excuse me, your honor." The judge finally stopped reading and fixed her gaze to Terrence. She frowned and took her reading glasses off. "I would like to confess." Terrence continued.

"What are you talking about, young man?" The judge asked.

"I tried to kill both, Jelena Howards and Jude Kinkade. Oscar Kinkade is innocent." Terrence revelation was followed by a long silence. It was only broken by the sound of Jelena getting up.

"Terrence?" Her voice was barely audible and she stared at her ex-boyfriend with disbelief.

"It's true." Terrence only glanced at Jelena briefly. There was no hesitation in his eyes. "I wanted to hurt you after you cast me out of the team's ownership."

The judge seemed to think the new situation through before speaking. "You heard the man. Please, arrest him officer."

A police officer who had been standing at the exit walked to Terrence and handcuffed him.

"As for you Oscar Kinkade, it seems you're free to go." The judge hit the table with his mallet and all hell broke loose: Jelena tried to call out to the judge and everyone else started talking about the sudden turn of events.

Zero turned to look at Jude. "What the fuck is going on?"

"Terrence is lying." Jude said simply. "He didn't shot Jelena. I think he's probably protecting her." Jude had kept the next information all to himself. He knew it had been unfair to Gideon and Lionel, but Terrence wasn't the one that he feared. "As for my case… Oscar wasn't the one who fired the gun at me. It was someone else… Terrence, it seems."

"Jude!" Lionel looked almost disgusted and Zero just stared at him silently.

"But I know it was Oscar guiding his hand. Terrence must've done only what he needed to do." Jude hadn't blamed the one who had fired the gun, not during the shooting nor after that. Oscar had made Jude do many things he wasn't proud of just by pulling the right strings and he knew it must've been the same for Terrence. He knew what it was like.

The officer who had arrested Terrence now took hold of his arm and started to guide him outside through to corridor. As they were walking past them, Zero jumped up from his seat and stormed past Jude and his mother before Jude had any changes to stop him.

"Zero…" Terrence knew what was coming. He tried to calm the man down but in vain. Zero raised his fist and punched his face so hard that they all heard a bone crack.

"Get away from him!" An officer launched himself at him and tried to push Zero away as he prepared to hit Terrence for the second time.

"It's okay. Let them go." A voice in his ear, made Zero lower his fist. Jude hold on to his shoulders and gently guided him away from the scene.

"You're being charged of abuse!" The officer threatened but Zero just glared at him.

"No, it's okay. I deserved that." Terrence calmed the police man down and looked at straight at Jude. "I'm sorry."

Jude nodded at him and watched as Terrence was escorted outside. He felt Zero starting to relax in his arms and slowly let go of him. Jude turned to look at Oscar who was now standing without handcuffs and looked at him with victorious smile on his face.

Heather who had watched the situation escalate in front of her, now stood up and walked straight to Oscar. She motioned for him to come closer. At first Oscar looked confused and then a little smug before walking to meet with his ex-wife. Heather grinned before leaning close to Oscar. Jude felt a little disgusted to see his parents smiling to each other like that. It made him realize just how weird his family affairs truly were.

Heather whispered something to Oscar's ear and soon the man's smile faded. Both Jude and Zero watched as Oscar looked almost scared when Heather finally stepped back and turned to walk towards her son.

"If he bothers you, give me a call." Heather said as she walked pass Jude.

"What?" Jude turned to look at Oscar once more, who was staring after his ex with a solemn expression. "Mom?" Jude called after his mother and Heather turned around to face him. "What did you say to him?"

"You don't need to know the details." Heather said and Zero was surprised to see a genuine smile appear on her face. "Take care of yourself…" She reached out to caress Jude's cheek. "…my independent boy." Then she withdrew her hand quickly, as if Jude's face had burned her and turned towards Zero. "Congratulations on your engagement." With that she turned around and walked away.

Jude watched after her and realized only now how much he had missed her. But he also knew that she had her own life to go to and so did Jude.

* * *

Jude sat behind Oscar's old worktop. He was going to replace it as soon as he had the time to go and pick up a new one. The table reminded him too much of the time of Oscar's dictatorship.

"May I come in?" Jude looked up to see Jelena standing in the doorway.

"Sure, take a seat." Jude stood up and pointed towards the opposite chair but she didn't sit down.

"I just came to say that the deal has been accepted on the board." Jelena said and smiled tightly. "You're now official owner of the Devils and I'm in charge of the Devil girls."

"Good." Jude nodded at her but he got the feeling that wasn't all she came to say. "Was that all?"

Jelena looked uncomfortably around the room before unwillingly sat down. "I went to see Terrence today. He... told me that Oscar has shown a video of him firing the gun towards you."

Jude nodded absent mindedly. "I thought he would have a backup plan in his pocket in case Terrence wasn't willing to confess on his own."

Jelena shook her head in annoyance. "Otherwise Terrence refused to speak to me, but I know he's not a killer. Not truly. He could've never hurt me, that's what I'm hundred percent sure about. What he did to you was because of me. He just wants to protect me. You should be able to relate to that."

"What do you mean?" Jude understood everything she said up to the last sentence.

"You have someone who looks after you no matter what." Jelena stated simply and stood up. "I'll see you around." She excused herself and walked out of the room.

Jude stared down at his ring when she was gone and realized her words were quite true. But still, he didn't believe Gideon would be able to kill for him.

"What are you thinking about?" Zero strolled in and closed the door behind him.

"You, of course." Jude smiled up to him. "I was wondering how the hell you can break your knuckle by hitting someone. I thought you were raised in the streets."

"I was raised by two asshole human beings." Zero rounded the table with flirtatious smile on his face. "Luckily enough, they gave us enough food so we didn't have to fight for it."

Jude's smile disappeared now when he started to think how completely miserable Gideon's past had been.

"Hey." Zero caught Jude's attention. "We still haven't finished what we started."

"What?" Jude frowned at Zero who side glanced at the table he was leaning against to.

"I still haven't fucked you on this table."

"You're absolutely right." Jude couldn't help but laugh. Zero took it as an approval and leaned down to kiss him.

When they parted Zero lifted his sport bag to the table with a loud thud. He opened the zipper and took something out. He showed the tube of lube to Jude and grinned widely when Jude looked at the tube with darkened eyes. Zero then offered his hand and Jude took it. Zero pulled him up so quickly that Jude lost his balance and had to take support from the table. With one smooth move Zero was already behind him, pressing his groin against his ass. Jude had to rethink about giving up the table after that.


End file.
